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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 120 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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. root — of a plant
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. lean — thin
  5. bass — low music
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. root — the cause
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. craft — a skill
  13. root — of a word
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. race — humankind
  16. bass — the fish
  17. craft — boats
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. race — a contest
  20. cell — in biology
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cell — a phone
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. lean — to bend

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