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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 116 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. craft — a skill
  6. tube — a container
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — to bear
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — the underground
  12. fork — in a road
  13. craft — boats
  14. wake — a trail
  15. season — of the year
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. season — in sport
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. stand — for spectators

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