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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. rock — music
  3. wake — a trail
  4. rock — a stone
  5. craft — boats
  6. prune — to trim
  7. firm — decided
  8. prune — to trim
  9. kid — child
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. march — the month
  12. firm — steady
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. firm — a company
  17. march — the month
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. kid — to tease
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — a skill

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