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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: swing · straw · craft · prune · scale · kid · bulb · rush

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. prune — to trim
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. swing — music
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. kid — to tease
  9. bulb — for light
  10. scale — in music
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. craft — a skill
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. craft — boats
  16. kid — child
  17. scale — size or range
  18. rush — hurry
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — in golf
  23. scale — for weighing
  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