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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 116 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: mug · prune · craft · row · bay · wake · shower · wound

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. craft — a skill
  7. mug — a face
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. prune — to trim
  10. craft — boats
  11. shower — rain
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mug — a cup
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mug — to rob
  22. row — to paddle
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. row — a line

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