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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 116 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — all right
  9. wind — moving air
  10. fine — high quality
  11. wind — moving air
  12. prune — to trim
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — music
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a skill

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