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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. current — of water
  3. prune — to trim
  4. current — electric
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. object — a thing
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — low music
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. lie — to recline
  15. craft — boats
  16. prune — to trim
  17. current — happening now
  18. object — to protest
  19. squash — to crush
  20. object — an aim
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — a trail
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. lie — an untruth

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