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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. spring — the season
  3. charge — a price
  4. prune — to trim
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. charge — in control
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. spring — of water
  10. sharp — clever
  11. charge — electricity
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. spring — a coil
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. craft — boats
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. squash — to crush
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. rash — hasty
  22. craft — a skill
  23. prune — to trim
  24. temple — a place of worship

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