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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: trunk · craft · fall · wind · perch · net · pass · scale

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. wind — moving air
  3. net — for catching
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. net — in sport
  7. pass — a permit
  8. net — after costs
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. craft — boats
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. fall — to drop
  13. scale — size or range
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. fall — to drop
  16. wind — moving air
  17. scale — in music
  18. fall — the season
  19. craft — a skill
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. perch — the fish
  24. perch — for a bird

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