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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. craft — boats
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. cap — of ice
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. stem — to come from
  10. cap — a lid
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bass — low music
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bass — the fish
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. roll — a list
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. roll — a cake
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cap — a hat
  23. prune — to trim
  24. safe — out of danger

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