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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
468
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 · trunk · stick · foot · wound · craft · pitcher · drill

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wound — an injury
  4. foot — a measure
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. drill — army training
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. craft — a skill
  14. wound — an injury
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. craft — boats
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. drill — a practice
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. drill — the tool
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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