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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. spell — a short time
  3. file — a line of people
  4. prune — to trim
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bank — for money
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. file — a document
  9. bank — for money
  10. rash — hasty
  11. craft — a skill
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. file — a tool
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. craft — boats
  17. prune — to trim
  18. shower — rain
  19. spell — magic
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bank — of a river
  23. spell — letters
  24. prune — the fruit

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