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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. march — music
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. object — an aim
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. march — the month
  10. prune — to trim
  11. march — the month
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. prune — to trim
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — in cards
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a signal
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. cue — a hint
  21. object — a thing
  22. craft — a skill
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. leaves — of a tree

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