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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — the time now
  3. prune — to trim
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. wake — a trail
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. march — music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. craft — boats
  14. cue — a hint
  15. march — the month
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — a skill
  18. march — the month
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. cue — a signal
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. present — a gift

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