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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. sharp — clever
  3. craft — a skill
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bore — to drill
  8. suit — in cards
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bore — to tire
  17. suit — clothes
  18. object — a thing
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — an aim
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — boats
  24. wound — an injury

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