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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. rest — a break
  4. kid — child
  5. kid — to tease
  6. prune — to trim
  7. dip — to sink
  8. rest — what's left
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bound — tied together
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — to visit
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bound — certain
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bound — obliged
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pop — music
  23. pass — a permit
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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