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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. firm — a company
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bass — low music
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. firm — decided
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. wake — a trail
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. firm — steady
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bass — the fish
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. kick — in football
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. craft — boats

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