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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 · hide · content · net · shower · pound · safe · craft

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. net — for catching
  4. craft — boats
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pound — a weight
  7. shower — rain
  8. content — happy
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. shower — to wash
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. prune — to trim
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. net — after costs
  18. craft — a skill
  19. net — in sport
  20. content — the amount
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. content — videos and posts

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