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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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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 · pop · craft · swing · race · straw · fall · mug

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. swing — in golf
  3. fall — to drop
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. fall — to drop
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bulb — for light
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. race — humankind
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. pop — soda
  14. craft — boats
  15. mug — a face
  16. race — a contest
  17. mug — to rob
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fall — the season
  21. pop — to visit
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — music
  24. craft — a skill

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