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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. craft — boats
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. net — after costs
  9. mate — a partner
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. craft — a skill
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. mate — to breed
  20. wound — an injury
  21. net — in sport
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. mate — a friend

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