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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. 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. craft — a handicraft
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bass — low music
  4. lean — thin
  5. root — of a plant
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bass — the fish
  12. root — of a word
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. craft — boats
  15. root — the cause
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. 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