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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: craft · hide · spring · fine · scale · prune · bowl · snap

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. scale — size or range
  8. spring — a coil
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. fine — all right
  13. scale — in music
  14. spring — of water
  15. prune — to trim
  16. spring — the season
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — high quality
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a skill
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bowl — a football final

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