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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bound — tied together
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. land — to come down
  5. bound — certain
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. land — a country
  8. pit — a hole
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. wax — to grow
  11. chest — a box
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. chest — of your body
  14. pit — in a race
  15. craft — a skill
  16. deal — to handle
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. chest — of your body
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. land — ground
  23. bound — obliged
  24. deal — an agreement

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