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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: object · bay · net · trunk · craft · sharp · spring · rash

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. net — in sport
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. net — after costs
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. object — to protest
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. spring — a coil
  10. rash — a series
  11. object — an aim
  12. sharp — clever
  13. spring — of water
  14. spring — the season
  15. net — for catching
  16. object — a thing
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. rash — hasty
  20. craft — a skill
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. craft — boats

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