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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: rest · trunk · wound · fine · plane · saw · bank · craft

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bank — for money
  5. craft — boats
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fine — all right
  9. rest — what's left
  10. saw — the tool
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — high quality
  14. craft — a skill
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. rest — what's left
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rest — a break
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. plane — a tool
  24. trunk — of a tree

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