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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 124 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. pound — a weight
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — boats
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pop — to visit
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rush — hurry
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. pop — soda
  24. safe — out of danger

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