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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · trunk · pass · field · chair · craft · nail · roll

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. craft — a skill
  3. chair — a leader
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. rash — a series
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. rash — hasty
  9. field — farmland
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — a permit
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. roll — a list
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. craft — boats
  18. roll — a cake
  19. field — for sport
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. field — a subject
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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