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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. tube — the underground
  7. dip — to sink
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. club — for dancing
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. wound — an injury
  14. craft — a skill
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wax — to grow
  18. club — for golf
  19. wound — an injury
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — a container
  23. club — a group
  24. wax — in the ear

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