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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. file — a tool
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. craft — a skill
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. chest — of your body
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. chest — a box
  18. file — a document
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. file — a line of people
  22. craft — boats
  23. chest — of your body
  24. trunk — of a tree

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