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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 120 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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  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. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. craft — boats
  4. kick — in football
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kid — child
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. craft — a skill
  13. kid — to tease
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. spring — of water
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. mark — a grade
  21. rest — what's left
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. mark — a trace
  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