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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. race — a contest
  5. bank — for money
  6. race — humankind
  7. pit — in a race
  8. craft — a skill
  9. kid — to tease
  10. pit — a hole
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bank — of a river
  14. craft — boats
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. bank — for money
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. race — the arms race
  20. spell — magic
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — to handle

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