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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. can — to be able to
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. rest — what's left
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. rest — what's left
  9. craft — a skill
  10. kick — in football
  11. prune — to trim
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. craft — boats
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. court — of a king
  17. rest — a break
  18. court — for sport
  19. bat — the animal
  20. court — of law
  21. can — a tin
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. can — a tin
  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