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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. rest — a break
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bear — the animal
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. craft — boats
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. fork — in a road
  21. chair — a leader
  22. rest — what's left
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. prune — to trim

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