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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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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: bore · prune · stock · craft · tear · mouse · hide · perch

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. perch — the fish
  3. tear — from crying
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bore — to drill
  8. tear — to rip
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bore — to tire
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. stock — shares
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. craft — boats
  20. stock — goods
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. prune — to trim
  24. craft — a skill

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