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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 116 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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. staff — employees
  4. lean — to bend
  5. staff — employees
  6. craft — a skill
  7. staff — a stick
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. rule — a law
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. craft — boats
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. rule — government
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. wake — a trail

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