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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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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: mark · hide · prune · pop · wind · can · branch · craft

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. can — a tin
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. mark — a grade
  5. pop — soda
  6. branch — a division
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. craft — a skill
  11. pop — music
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pop — to visit
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. can — to be able to
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. wind — moving air
  22. craft — boats
  23. can — a tin
  24. wind — moving air

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