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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 116 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. prune — to trim
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. prune — to trim
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. wax — to grow
  18. craft — boats
  19. fork — in a road
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. craft — a skill
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pitch — completely

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