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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fall — to drop
  4. prune — to trim
  5. hand — help
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. rash — a series
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. rash — hasty
  17. craft — a skill
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. hand — in cards

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