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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. rash — hasty
  3. prune — to trim
  4. roll — a list
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — to shout
  12. rash — a series
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. prune — to trim
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. craft — boats
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. leaves — of a tree

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