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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. kick — in football
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. track — to keep track
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. object — an aim
  11. squash — the sport
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. craft — a skill
  14. object — to protest
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. object — a thing
  18. squash — to crush
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. craft — boats
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. track — a song
  24. track — a path

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