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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. fine — all right
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fine — high quality
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. craft — boats
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mine — for digging
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rock — a stone
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. prune — to trim
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. wind — moving air
  21. rock — music
  22. wind — moving air
  23. craft — a skill
  24. rock — to move gently

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