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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. hand — help
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. band — a ring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. hand — in cards
  18. band — a music group
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. craft — a skill
  23. prune — to trim
  24. leaves — lets stay

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