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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. craft — boats
  6. prune — to trim
  7. object — to protest
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. deal — to handle
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cue — for pool
  17. craft — a skill
  18. object — a thing
  19. cue — a signal
  20. object — an aim
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cell — a phone
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. deal — an agreement

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