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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.

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: prune · craft · bark · lash · fan · file · bear · stem

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. craft — boats
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. prune — to trim
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bear — the animal
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. prune — to trim
  15. file — a document
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stem — to come from
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bear — the animal
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bark — to shout

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