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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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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: bank · craft · cabinet · race · fork · prune · lie · mark

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fork — in a road
  3. prune — to trim
  4. craft — boats
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bank — for money
  7. mark — a trace
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. race — the arms race
  14. prune — to trim
  15. race — a contest
  16. lie — to recline
  17. race — humankind
  18. mark — a grade
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. craft — a skill
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. lie — an untruth

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