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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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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: trunk · mine · plane · craft · club · lie · pound · content

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. plane — a tool
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. lie — to recline
  6. pound — a weight
  7. content — happy
  8. craft — a skill
  9. mine — for digging
  10. club — for golf
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. craft — boats
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. club — for dancing
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. content — the amount
  22. club — a group
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. mine — an explosive

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