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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 · wake · foot · plane · mark · chest · bay · trunk

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. craft — a skill
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. foot — a measure
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mark — a grade
  9. craft — boats
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. chest — of your body
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. plane — a tool
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a trace
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. chest — a box

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