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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. prune — to trim
  3. hand — in cards
  4. prune — to trim
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. hand — help
  8. track — a path
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. wax — to grow
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. track — a song
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. track — to keep track
  23. craft — boats
  24. squash — the sport

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