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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: prune · can · straw · mug · deal · lean · craft · tube

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. lean — to bend
  3. prune — to trim
  4. craft — a skill
  5. can — a tin
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. tube — a container
  10. can — a tin
  11. tube — the underground
  12. craft — boats
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. lean — thin
  16. mug — a face
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — to rob
  19. can — to be able to
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. prune — to trim
  24. craft — a handicraft

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