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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. last — to go on
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pit — in a race
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. prune — to trim
  9. file — a document
  10. prune — to trim
  11. file — a tool
  12. pit — a hole
  13. last — finally
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. craft — a skill
  17. file — a line of people
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. last — final
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. hide — animal skin
  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