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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: craft · temple · pop · staff · wound · cabinet · chip · trunk

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. wound — an injury
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. staff — employees
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. pop — music
  7. chip — to eat
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. chip — for betting
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. wound — an injury
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — to visit
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — a skill
  24. trunk — of a car

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