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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. pit — a hole
  6. craft — a skill
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. craft — boats
  10. pit — in a race
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. plane — a tool
  15. scale — size or range
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rash — a series
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. scale — in music
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. rash — hasty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com