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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  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. craft — boats
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. prune — to trim
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. staff — employees
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. stem — to come from
  11. craft — a skill
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. staff — employees
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. staff — a stick
  17. fall — to drop
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. prune — to trim
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — for digging
  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