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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 · pop · mug · spring · ruler · prune · fan · shower

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. spring — a coil
  3. pop — soda
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. shower — rain
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pop — music
  8. spring — the season
  9. pop — to visit
  10. shower — to wash
  11. mug — to rob
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. spring — of water
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mug — a face
  17. craft — boats
  18. mug — a cup
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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