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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. fall — the season
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fall — to drop
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. capital — a city
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bulb — for light
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. capital — money
  18. staff — employees
  19. craft — a skill
  20. staff — employees
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. staff — a stick
  24. wound — an injury

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