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

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. craft — a skill
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. root — of a word
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to bend
  8. root — of a plant
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. swing — in golf
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. root — the cause
  13. craft — boats
  14. mug — to rob
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mug — a face
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bark — to shout
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. mug — a cup
  24. lean — to rest against

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