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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 116 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. rash — hasty
  3. root — the cause
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. mate — a friend
  9. row — a line
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. craft — boats
  12. season — of the year
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. season — in sport
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. mate — to breed
  18. row — to paddle
  19. craft — a skill
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. root — of a plant
  22. kick — in football
  23. root — of a word
  24. rash — a series

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