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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: craft · chip · prune · file · mine · cap · rash · stem

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. rash — a series
  4. file — a document
  5. prune — to trim
  6. craft — a skill
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — a hat
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. craft — boats
  14. file — a line of people
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. mine — for digging
  17. chip — for betting
  18. file — a tool
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. stem — to come from
  21. cap — of ice
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — hasty

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