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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: craft · rush · fall · spring · prune · stick

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fall — the season
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. craft — boats
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — of water
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. fall — to drop
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rush — hurry
  17. fall — to drop
  18. spring — the season

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