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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. root — of a word
  8. rock — music
  9. craft — boats
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. craft — a skill
  13. rock — a stone
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. hand — help
  16. wake — a trail
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. hand — in cards
  21. deal — to handle
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — the cause

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