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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. face — to point toward
  3. root — the cause
  4. prune — to trim
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — there
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — part of the head
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. charge — electricity
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. craft — a skill
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — of a plant
  19. charge — a price
  20. present — the time now
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. charge — in control
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wind — moving air

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