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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: rest · degree · lie · hide · prune · nail · craft · pop

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — a skill
  4. rest — what's left
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. pop — soda
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pop — to visit
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — from a university
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pop — music
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. craft — boats
  24. nail — for a hammer

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