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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: bulb · capital · rock · prune · tear · straw · suit · craft

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. suit — in cards
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. capital — money
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. bulb — for light
  9. capital — a city
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bulb — for light
  13. tear — from crying
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. prune — to trim
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. rock — music
  18. tear — from crying
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. suit — clothes
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a skill
  24. straw — a straw man

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