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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 116 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. present — there
  7. plane — a tool
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. file — a line of people
  10. present — a gift
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. band — a ring
  18. file — a document
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. band — a music group
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. present — the time now
  23. file — a tool
  24. trunk — of a car

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