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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. can — a tin
  6. prune — to trim
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. cue — a hint
  10. can — a tin
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. chair — a leader
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — low music
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. cue — a signal
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. bass — the fish
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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