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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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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: craft · cold · trunk · rest · rock · fine · pass · ball

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. rest — what's left
  6. ball — a great time
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rest — what's left
  9. ball — a dance
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. fine — high quality
  14. craft — boats
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. cold — not warm
  17. rock — music
  18. pass — a permit
  19. cold — an illness
  20. rest — a break
  21. craft — a skill
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. pass — to spend time

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