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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. craft — a skill
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. court — of a king
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. court — of law
  7. file — a document
  8. bore — to drill
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. prune — to trim
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. stem — to come from
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. prune — to trim
  18. file — a tool
  19. court — for sport
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. craft — boats
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. arm — part of the body

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