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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: row · wind · key · rule · craft · trunk

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. row — to paddle
  3. craft — boats
  4. row — a line
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. rule — government
  7. wind — moving air
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rule — a law
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. key — for a lock
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — in music
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. craft — a skill
  18. row — a quarrel

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