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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: deal · craft · prune · saw · vault · bark · branch · mark

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. saw — the tool
  3. prune — to trim
  4. vault — a safe
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. craft — boats
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — a division
  12. saw — the tool
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bark — to shout
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. mark — a trace
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. mark — a grade
  24. prune — to trim

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