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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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468
Word bank
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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. fall — to drop
  3. craft — boats
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. root — the cause
  7. fall — the season
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. mug — a cup
  10. season — in sport
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. season — of the year
  13. dip — to sink
  14. wind — moving air
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mug — a face
  17. root — of a word
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. root — of a plant
  21. craft — a skill
  22. wind — moving air
  23. fall — to drop
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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