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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: key · fall · hand · rock · craft · rule · tube · trunk

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — boats
  4. fall — to drop
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — the most important part
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — a container
  11. hand — help
  12. tube — the underground
  13. key — in music
  14. fall — the season
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — government
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — music
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. hand — in cards
  24. fall — to drop

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