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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 120 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: rest · chair · bay · current · prune · craft · bound · arm

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — boats
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bound — tied together
  6. current — happening now
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rest — a break
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. current — electric
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. rest — what's left
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bound — certain
  15. current — of water
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bound — obliged
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. prune — the fruit

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