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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.

Words on the sheet
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: lash · rash · craft · bear · degree · trunk · mine · bay

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. degree — from a university
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. craft — a skill
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rash — a series
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. craft — boats
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bear — the animal
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. degree — an amount
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. rash — hasty

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