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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. cell — a phone
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. swing — to play on
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. craft — boats
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. swing — in golf
  13. scale — in music
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bore — to tire
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. scale — size or range
  22. foot — a measure
  23. craft — a skill
  24. swing — music

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