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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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Word bank
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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. prune — to trim
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. spell — magic
  7. prune — to trim
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. spell — letters
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. lie — to recline
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. spell — a short time
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. craft — boats

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