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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. suit — to fit
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. last — to go on
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. track — to keep track
  8. last — finally
  9. craft — boats
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. track — a song
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bat — the animal
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. last — final
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. craft — a skill
  21. track — a path
  22. prune — to trim
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — in cards

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