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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 116 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: bat · craft · hand · lean · fine · prune · spell · bark

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. spell — magic
  5. bark — to shout
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. spell — letters
  9. lean — thin
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. craft — boats
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. spell — a short time
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — help
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. craft — a skill
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — high quality

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