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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. craft — boats
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. craft — a skill
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. file — a document
  12. march — music
  13. prune — to trim
  14. perch — the fish
  15. prune — to trim
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. file — a line of people
  20. file — a tool
  21. fine — high quality
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. kick — in football
  24. fine — all right

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