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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. wind — moving air
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. court — for sport
  6. bark — to shout
  7. court — of a king
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. fall — the season
  11. court — of law
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. fall — to drop
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. fall — to drop
  21. craft — boats
  22. dip — to sink
  23. wind — moving air
  24. dip — to dunk

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