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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. can — to be able to
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — a country
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. land — ground
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. stand — to bear
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. content — happy
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. can — a tin
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. craft — boats
  22. can — a tin
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. craft — a skill

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