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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: mug · toast · craft · bark · prune · track · nail · wound

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. track — a path
  6. wound — an injury
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — to shout
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. craft — a skill
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — to rob
  17. track — to keep track
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. craft — boats
  21. toast — bread
  22. wound — an injury
  23. track — a song
  24. mug — a face

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