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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a ring
  5. craft — boats
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. craft — a skill
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bound — obliged
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bound — tied together
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bound — certain
  18. band — a music group
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. prune — to trim
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cue — for pool

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