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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. root — of a word
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. root — of a plant
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. craft — boats
  14. bass — the fish
  15. root — the cause
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. toast — bread
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. date — the fruit
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. bass — low music
  23. fork — in a road
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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