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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. rock — a stone
  3. craft — boats
  4. root — of a plant
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — a line
  9. cold — not warm
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rock — music
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. root — of a word
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. deal — to handle
  16. row — to paddle
  17. root — the cause
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. craft — a skill
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. fine — high quality
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — hasty

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