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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.

Make a worksheet

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: row · lash · bear · staff · prune · saw · game · craft

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. craft — a skill
  3. row — a line
  4. staff — employees
  5. saw — the tool
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a match
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bear — the animal
  14. craft — boats
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. prune — to trim
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bear — the animal
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. staff — employees
  24. row — a quarrel

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