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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. rash — hasty
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. kick — in football
  9. craft — boats
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. chest — a box
  19. rash — a series
  20. pass — a permit
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. craft — a skill
  23. lie — to recline
  24. hide — to keep secret

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