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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cold — an illness
  5. craft — boats
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cold — not warm
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bank — for money
  16. kid — child
  17. bank — of a river
  18. kid — to tease
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. bank — for money
  23. craft — a skill
  24. cold — the Cold War

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