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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: shower · stem · wind · bound · leaves · prune · craft · bay

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. wind — moving air
  5. craft — a skill
  6. wind — moving air
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bound — certain
  9. shower — to wash
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. shower — rain
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bound — obliged
  14. stem — to come from
  15. craft — boats
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bound — tied together
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. prune — to trim
  24. leaves — of a tree

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