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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — low music
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. spell — a short time
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. rush — hurry
  8. craft — boats
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. kick — in football
  11. prune — to trim
  12. spell — letters
  13. plane — a tool
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. craft — a skill
  24. spell — magic

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