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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: prune · lean · nail · craft · field · date · dip · season

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — a skill
  5. lean — thin
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. season — in sport
  8. field — for sport
  9. dip — to sink
  10. prune — to trim
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. field — a subject
  13. date — the fruit
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. craft — boats
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. field — farmland
  18. lean — to bend
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. season — of the year
  22. prune — to trim
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. nail — for a hammer

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