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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 120 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. mark — a grade
  4. can — to be able to
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. band — a ring
  8. can — a tin
  9. mark — a trace
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — music
  15. craft — a skill
  16. sharp — clever
  17. pop — soda
  18. band — a music group
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. craft — boats
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. can — a tin
  24. craft — a handicraft

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