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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 120 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mark — a grade
  10. craft — boats
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bore — to drill
  15. mine — for digging
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. capital — a city
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. prune — to trim
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. capital — money
  22. mark — a trace
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bore — to tire

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