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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.

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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: fork · lie · club · prune · craft · rash · present · stand

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. present — the time now
  3. rash — a series
  4. stand — to bear
  5. fork — in a road
  6. present — a gift
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. prune — to trim
  9. lie — to recline
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rash — hasty
  16. craft — a skill
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. present — there
  19. club — for dancing
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. club — for golf
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. club — a group

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