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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. scale — in music
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — the season
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bat — the animal
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. craft — a skill
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. prune — to trim
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. shower — rain
  20. shower — to wash
  21. spring — a coil
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. craft — boats

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