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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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Word bank
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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: rash · chair · trunk · fan · deal · craft

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. craft — a skill
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. deal — to handle
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. rash — a series
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. chair — a leader
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. craft — boats

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