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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: toast · file · trunk · jam · mug · wind · craft · bat

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bat — the animal
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. file — a document
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. mug — a cup
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. toast — bread
  12. mug — a face
  13. file — a line of people
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. file — a tool
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. wind — moving air
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. craft — boats
  24. trunk — of a car

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