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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: scale · fine · prune · lean · drill · cell · trunk · craft

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — to bend
  3. prune — to trim
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. cell — a phone
  7. fine — high quality
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. lean — thin
  14. craft — a skill
  15. scale — in music
  16. drill — the tool
  17. cell — in biology
  18. prune — to trim
  19. drill — army training
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. drill — a practice
  23. fine — all right
  24. trunk — of a car

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