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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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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: bay · bulb · tube · prune · arm · cap · craft · deal

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. cap — a hat
  5. prune — to trim
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. craft — a skill
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bulb — for light
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. cap — a lid
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. prune — to trim
  15. deal — to handle
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. tube — a container
  18. bulb — for light
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. craft — boats
  24. cap — of ice

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