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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. root — of a plant
  4. last — finally
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. present — a gift
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. last — to go on
  9. root — the cause
  10. craft — boats
  11. snap — to click
  12. rule — government
  13. last — final
  14. craft — a skill
  15. rule — a law
  16. present — the time now
  17. fine — all right
  18. root — of a word
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. present — there
  21. mark — a trace
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. mark — a grade

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