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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 116 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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. race — the arms race
  3. spell — a short time
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. spell — letters
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. race — a contest
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. prune — to trim
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bark — to shout
  15. craft — boats
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. craft — a skill
  18. race — humankind
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. spell — magic
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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