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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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Word bank
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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. craft — boats
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bound — obliged
  8. prune — to trim
  9. key — the most important part
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — hasty
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — a skill
  14. prune — to trim
  15. key — for a lock
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bound — tied together
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bound — certain
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. key — in music
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. lash — an eyelash

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