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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: sharp · craft · present · press · fall · arm · land · trunk

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. land — a country
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. craft — boats
  5. press — to push
  6. present — there
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. fall — the season
  10. craft — a skill
  11. present — a gift
  12. land — to come down
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. sharp — clever
  18. present — the time now
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. press — a publisher
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. land — ground
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. press — newspapers

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