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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lean · craft · pitcher · prune · bark · firm · present · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. present — there
  3. firm — steady
  4. bear — the animal
  5. lean — thin
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. firm — decided
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. present — a gift
  14. bark — to shout
  15. present — the time now
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lean — to bend
  19. firm — a company
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pitcher — a jug

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