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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: march · snap · prune · cabinet · dip · craft · fan · bore

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. prune — to trim
  3. march — music
  4. craft — boats
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. prune — to trim
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bore — to tire
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. march — the month
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bore — to drill
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. march — the month
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. craft — a skill
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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