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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: mate · mug · branch · craft · present · shower · prune · ball

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. craft — a skill
  3. present — a gift
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. mug — a face
  6. shower — rain
  7. branch — a division
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. present — there
  11. mate — a partner
  12. ball — a dance
  13. mate — a friend
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — boats
  16. mug — a cup
  17. ball — a great time
  18. prune — to trim
  19. shower — to wash
  20. present — the time now
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mug — to rob

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