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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  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. prune — the fruit
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. craft — a skill
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bound — obliged
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bound — tied together
  9. current — happening now
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bound — certain
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. squash — the sport
  17. current — of water
  18. prune — to trim
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. prune — to trim
  22. craft — boats
  23. current — electric
  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