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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: bulb · roll · craft · mouse · fine · prune · last · squash

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  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. last — finally
  2. last — to go on
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. prune — to trim
  5. roll — a cake
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fine — high quality
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. squash — the sport
  13. roll — a list
  14. fine — all right
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. craft — boats
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. squash — to crush
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. last — final
  23. fine — a penalty
  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