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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: cue · craft · can · band · stick · bear · staff · trunk

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cue — a hint
  5. can — a tin
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. staff — employees
  9. can — a tin
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. craft — a skill
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. band — a ring
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. band — a music group
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bear — the animal
  21. craft — boats
  22. can — to be able to
  23. staff — employees
  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