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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: lean · prune · degree · craft · saw · bank · jam · bark

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. craft — a skill
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lean — thin
  6. bank — for money
  7. bark — to shout
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. degree — an amount
  11. bank — for money
  12. lean — to bend
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. degree — temperature
  15. prune — to trim
  16. saw — the tool
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. bank — of a river
  23. craft — boats
  24. degree — from a university

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