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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 · leaves · craft · bulb · content · race · roll · kick

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bulb — for light
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bulb — for light
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. kick — in football
  8. race — humankind
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. content — happy
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. race — a contest
  15. roll — a cake
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. race — the arms race
  19. prune — to trim
  20. content — the amount
  21. roll — a list
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. prune — to trim

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