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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: mug · trunk · craft · arm · chest · cap · key · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. chest — of your body
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. key — for a lock
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — a lid
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — a skill
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. craft — boats
  11. mug — a face
  12. bear — the animal
  13. mug — to rob
  14. key — the most important part
  15. chest — a box
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mug — a cup
  18. key — in music
  19. chest — of your body
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. cap — of ice

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