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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: prune · chest · foot · bear · leaves · current · craft · rush

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. chest — of your body
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. foot — a measure
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — of water
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bear — the animal
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. craft — boats
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bear — the animal
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. chest — a box
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. current — electric
  22. craft — a skill
  23. chest — of your body
  24. leaves — lets stay

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