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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: present · mine · prune · craft · jam · rest · hide · mate

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. rest — what's left
  3. present — there
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. craft — boats
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rest — what's left
  14. prune — to trim
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. present — a gift
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — a skill
  20. mate — a friend
  21. present — the time now
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mine — for digging
  24. rest — a break

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