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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: bear · object · season · craft · snap · trunk · chest · file

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bear — the animal
  3. file — a document
  4. chest — of your body
  5. object — to protest
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. file — a line of people
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. object — an aim
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. season — of the year
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. snap — to click
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. craft — a skill
  16. file — a tool
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. object — a thing
  19. chest — of your body
  20. season — in sport
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bear — the animal
  23. craft — boats
  24. chest — a box

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