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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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. squash — to crush
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bass — the fish
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bass — low music
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. craft — a skill
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. press — to push
  22. craft — boats
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — newspapers

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