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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.

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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. cell — in biology
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bass — the fish
  6. cap — a lid
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. cap — a hat
  9. root — of a plant
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. craft — boats
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bass — low music
  15. bear — the animal
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. root — the cause
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bear — the animal
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. cell — in a prison

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