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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: prune · chair · jam · dip · rash · stem · squash · craft

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. dip — to sink
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. rash — hasty
  8. squash — the sport
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. rash — a series
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — to come from
  13. prune — to trim
  14. chair — a leader
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. prune — to trim
  20. craft — a skill
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. squash — to crush

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