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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: prune · mouse · cabinet · saw · hide · spell

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. prune — to trim
  3. spell — a short time
  4. saw — the tool
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. spell — letters

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