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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. prune — to trim
  4. object — to protest
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a skill
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. can — a tin
  11. object — an aim
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. can — a tin
  15. object — a thing
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pit — in a race
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. pit — a hole
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bear — the animal
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. can — to be able to
  24. craft — a handicraft

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