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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. dip — to sink
  3. land — ground
  4. tube — the underground
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. land — to come down
  7. current — electric
  8. scale — size or range
  9. land — a country
  10. craft — boats
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. craft — a skill
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. scale — in music
  21. current — happening now
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. current — of water

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