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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: shower · rash · prune · hide · mate · craft

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. mate — to breed
  3. rash — hasty
  4. shower — rain
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. mate — a friend
  7. rash — a series
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. shower — to wash
  10. mate — a partner
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. prune — to trim
  13. craft — a skill
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. prune — to trim
  18. hide — animal skin

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