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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bank — of a river
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. craft — boats
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rest — a break
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bank — for money
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. root — the cause
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bank — for money
  15. root — of a word
  16. squash — the sport
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wound — an injury
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — to crush
  22. rest — what's left
  23. root — of a plant
  24. safe — a strongbox

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