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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. present — a gift
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. prune — to trim
  13. craft — a skill
  14. snap — to click
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. craft — boats
  18. bark — to shout
  19. object — to protest
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — there
  22. object — a thing
  23. prune — to trim
  24. face — to confront

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