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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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468
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: racket · craft · trunk · hand · object · bulb · wind · mouse

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. object — an aim
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wind — moving air
  11. object — to protest
  12. wind — moving air
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. object — a thing
  15. craft — a skill
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. hand — help
  19. bulb — for light
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. hand — in cards
  24. racket — for tennis

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