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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.

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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: mark · hide · prune · craft · snap · content · chest · club

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. club — for dancing
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. chest — a box
  5. content — the amount
  6. mark — a trace
  7. chest — of your body
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. chest — of your body
  10. content — happy
  11. prune — to trim
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. craft — boats
  15. snap — to click
  16. club — for golf
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mark — a grade
  19. club — a group
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. craft — a skill

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