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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 116 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: can · mine · bat · cabinet · lean · fork · prune · craft

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. mine — for digging
  3. craft — a skill
  4. can — a tin
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. prune — to trim
  9. lean — to bend
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — the animal
  15. fork — in a road
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. can — a tin
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. craft — boats
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. lean — thin

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