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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. club — a group
  4. wake — a trail
  5. root — of a word
  6. spring — of water
  7. fall — to drop
  8. craft — a skill
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. spring — a coil
  11. charge — in control
  12. fall — the season
  13. club — for golf
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. spring — the season
  16. club — for dancing
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. charge — a price
  20. root — the cause
  21. fall — to drop
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. root — of a plant
  24. charge — electricity

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