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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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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 · toast · rest · ground · sharp · trunk · present · cue

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. craft — boats
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. present — a gift
  6. rest — what's left
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — crushed
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — for pool
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rest — what's left
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. toast — bread
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. craft — a skill
  18. rest — a break
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. cue — a hint
  22. present — there
  23. present — the time now
  24. ground — a position

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