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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. prune — to trim
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. march — the month
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. rash — hasty
  10. chest — of your body
  11. rash — a series
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. chest — of your body
  14. pass — a permit
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. sharp — clever
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. chest — a box
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. march — music
  23. craft — a skill
  24. pass — to succeed

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