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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: wake · prune · bore · cold · craft · vault · mug · dip

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. mug — a face
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. craft — boats
  5. mug — to rob
  6. cold — not warm
  7. bore — to drill
  8. prune — to trim
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. wake — a trail
  13. prune — to trim
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. cold — an illness
  19. mug — a cup
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bore — to tire

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