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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.

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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: prune · stem · race · craft · shower · present · mate · perch

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. mate — to breed
  3. craft — boats
  4. mate — a partner
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. race — a contest
  8. prune — to trim
  9. present — there
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. perch — the fish
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — the arms race
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. mate — a friend
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. craft — a skill
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — a gift
  21. stem — to come from
  22. prune — to trim
  23. shower — to wash
  24. shower — rain

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