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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. date — the fruit
  6. wake — a trail
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. ball — a dance
  13. craft — boats
  14. lie — to recline
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. sharp — clever
  18. ball — a great time
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. wake — before a funeral

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