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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. craft — a skill
  3. band — a music group
  4. root — of a plant
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mug — a face
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. band — a ring
  9. root — the cause
  10. mug — to rob
  11. craft — boats
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. tear — to rip
  15. tear — from crying
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. rest — a break
  19. tear — from crying
  20. rest — what's left
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. root — of a word

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