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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. clip — for paper
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. craft — a skill
  9. root — of a plant
  10. craft — boats
  11. ball — a great time
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. root — the cause
  15. clip — to cut
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. root — of a word
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. clip — a video

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