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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. craft — boats
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. craft — a skill
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. fine — all right
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. pass — a permit
  22. wind — moving air
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. trunk — of a car

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