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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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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: craft · trunk · pitcher · prune · file · wind · pass · calf

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. file — a line of people
  5. prune — to trim
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. prune — to trim
  13. craft — a skill
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. file — a document
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. file — a tool
  23. pass — a permit
  24. craft — boats

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