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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 120 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. spell — a short time
  7. tear — from crying
  8. craft — a skill
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pass — a permit
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. spell — magic
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. tear — from crying
  15. net — in sport
  16. craft — boats
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. net — for catching
  19. tear — to rip
  20. spell — letters
  21. kick — in football
  22. net — after costs
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. prune — the fruit

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