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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: bay · scale · date · craft · wind · prune · rash · staff

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. rash — hasty
  6. scale — in music
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. scale — size or range
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. staff — employees
  14. date — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. rash — a series
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. craft — a skill
  23. wind — moving air
  24. date — on the calendar

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