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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: prune · band · charge · bear · bay · land · craft · hand

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bear — the animal
  3. craft — boats
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. charge — a price
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bear — the animal
  8. land — a country
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. charge — electricity
  11. band — a music group
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. hand — in cards
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. charge — in control
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. band — a ring
  19. land — to come down
  20. hand — help
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. land — ground
  24. prune — the fruit

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