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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bear — the animal
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. field — for sport
  9. field — farmland
  10. craft — boats
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. hand — help
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rush — hurry
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lean — to bend
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. lean — thin
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. craft — a skill
  24. prune — to trim

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