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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 120 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 · squash · cell · key · rest · mouse · craft · cap

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in biology
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. squash — to crush
  7. cap — of ice
  8. squash — the sport
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. craft — a skill
  18. key — in music
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. rest — a break
  21. cap — a hat
  22. key — for a lock
  23. craft — boats
  24. key — the most important part

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