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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. craft — a skill
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. prune — to trim
  7. charge — in control
  8. kid — to tease
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. charge — a price
  15. kid — child
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. charge — electricity
  19. craft — boats
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. march — music
  24. pass — to succeed

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