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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 120 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: bowl · cold · prune · craft · shower · mug · bay · wind

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. prune — to trim
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — a face
  11. craft — boats
  12. mug — to rob
  13. cold — not warm
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. shower — rain
  16. wind — moving air
  17. craft — a skill
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cold — an illness
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. wind — moving air

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