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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
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: land · firm · cabinet · prune · craft · tear · bass · rock

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. prune — to trim
  3. craft — boats
  4. land — to come down
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bass — the fish
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bass — low music
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. tear — to rip
  13. firm — a company
  14. tear — from crying
  15. firm — steady
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. land — ground
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. tear — from crying
  20. firm — decided
  21. land — a country
  22. rock — music
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. prune — to trim

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