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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 116 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. craft — boats
  3. drill — army training
  4. ball — a great time
  5. object — an aim
  6. deal — to handle
  7. rush — hurry
  8. craft — a skill
  9. drill — a practice
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. ball — a dance
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. object — to protest
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. stem — to come from
  17. object — a thing
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. drill — the tool
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. ball — a round shape

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