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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. prune — to trim
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. season — in sport
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. craft — a skill
  8. lean — to bend
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. craft — boats
  12. season — of the year
  13. ball — a dance
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. can — a tin
  16. deal — to handle
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — humankind
  19. race — the arms race
  20. can — a tin
  21. ball — a great time
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. can — to be able to

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