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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: saw · spell · mark · craft · hide · prune · band · kid

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mark — a grade
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. craft — boats
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. spell — a short time
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. band — a music group
  12. kid — to tease
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mark — a trace
  15. craft — a skill
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. saw — the tool
  18. prune — to trim
  19. spell — letters
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. kid — child
  24. spell — magic

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