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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. craft — boats
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. craft — a skill
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bank — for money
  8. bear — the animal
  9. race — humankind
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bank — for money
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. race — a contest
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. spell — magic
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bank — of a river

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