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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  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. prune — to trim
  2. bat — the animal
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bark — to shout
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. spell — magic
  10. craft — boats
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. foot — a measure
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. spell — letters
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. spell — a short time
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bat — for baseball
  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