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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. craft — boats
  3. squash — to crush
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. spell — a short time
  6. prune — to trim
  7. craft — a skill
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. squash — the sport
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. prune — to trim
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. fork — in a road
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. spell — magic
  20. bear — the animal
  21. spell — letters
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. prune — the fruit

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