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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. row — a line
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — to protest
  5. object — a thing
  6. track — to keep track
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — boats
  9. mark — a grade
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. deal — to handle
  12. suit — to fit
  13. track — a path
  14. suit — in cards
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a trace
  21. row — to paddle
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. track — a song
  24. suit — clothes

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