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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. band — a music group
  6. cell — a phone
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. spell — a short time
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. band — a ring
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. pit — in a race
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. craft — a skill
  17. pit — a hole
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. craft — boats
  21. spell — letters
  22. tube — a container
  23. spell — magic
  24. tube — the underground

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