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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: pit · shower · track · plane · craft · trunk · leaves · suit

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. track — a path
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. pit — in a race
  6. suit — to fit
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a song
  13. pit — a hole
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. suit — in cards
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. plane — a tool
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. shower — rain
  22. craft — a skill
  23. suit — clothes
  24. shower — to wash

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