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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. saw — the tool
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. press — to push
  7. craft — boats
  8. squash — to crush
  9. press — newspapers
  10. craft — a skill
  11. squash — the sport
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — in music
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. key — for a lock
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. press — a publisher
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. bat — the animal

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