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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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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 · prune · pound · object · bear · spell · wind · rule

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bear — the animal
  3. spell — letters
  4. prune — to trim
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — a thing
  8. spell — magic
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rule — government
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. pound — a weight
  17. prune — to trim
  18. craft — a skill
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. craft — boats
  22. rule — a law
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. object — an aim

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