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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. net — after costs
  4. row — to paddle
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. craft — boats
  9. root — the cause
  10. charge — in control
  11. root — of a plant
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — clever
  14. band — a music group
  15. root — of a word
  16. lean — to bend
  17. charge — electricity
  18. row — a line
  19. net — in sport
  20. lean — thin
  21. band — a ring
  22. charge — a price
  23. craft — a skill
  24. net — for catching

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