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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. prune — to trim
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. shower — rain
  5. cap — a hat
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rash — a series
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. rock — a stone
  11. fork — in a road
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. cap — a lid
  14. craft — boats
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. rock — music
  17. mark — a trace
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. cap — of ice
  21. shower — to wash
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rash — hasty
  24. mark — a grade

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