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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: wave · mine · craft · bass · rash · prune · bay · chip

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bass — low music
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. craft — boats
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — for digging
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. chip — for betting
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bass — the fish
  24. rash — a series

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