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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 116 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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. last — finally
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. prune — to trim
  6. last — final
  7. net — in sport
  8. prune — to trim
  9. craft — boats
  10. net — after costs
  11. last — to go on
  12. craft — a skill
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. spring — the season
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. spring — a coil
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. net — for catching
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. season — of the year
  24. hide — to keep secret

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