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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. firm — decided
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. prune — to trim
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. firm — a company
  11. craft — boats
  12. bear — the animal
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. firm — steady
  16. perch — the fish
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bear — the animal
  20. cold — not warm
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. craft — a skill
  23. cold — an illness
  24. mug — to rob

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