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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. race — humankind
  5. race — a contest
  6. land — ground
  7. lie — to recline
  8. land — a country
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. craft — boats
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bear — the animal
  14. last — finally
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. land — to come down
  18. last — to go on
  19. last — final
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. race — the arms race
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bear — 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