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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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468
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 · wound · fine · bore · craft · mouse · vault · bat

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. craft — boats
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bore — to drill
  5. vault — a safe
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. prune — to trim
  9. fine — high quality
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bore — to tire
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. craft — a skill
  18. fine — all right
  19. wound — an injury
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bat — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bat — for baseball

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