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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. craft — boats
  4. prune — to trim
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. swing — to play on
  13. chip — to eat
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. craft — a skill
  16. swing — in golf
  17. vault — a safe
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — a series
  22. dip — to sink
  23. swing — music
  24. dip — a sauce

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