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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 120 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. prune — to trim
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. staff — a stick
  5. key — for a lock
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. prune — to trim
  9. perch — the fish
  10. key — in music
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a skill
  15. key — the most important part
  16. present — there
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. present — the time now
  24. prune — the fruit

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