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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. root — of a word
  3. rest — what's left
  4. craft — boats
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bore — to tire
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. can — a tin
  9. root — the cause
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bore — to drill
  15. craft — a skill
  16. rest — a break
  17. bass — low music
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. can — to be able to
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. root — of a plant
  23. can — a tin
  24. craft — a handicraft

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