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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: wind · mark · prune · bank · spring · mouse · bore · craft

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — of water
  7. mark — a trace
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a skill
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bank — for money
  24. prune — to trim

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