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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. root — of a plant
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rock — a stone
  5. craft — boats
  6. rock — music
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. chest — a box
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. prune — to trim
  13. saw — the tool
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. root — the cause
  20. saw — the tool
  21. root — of a word
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. prune — to trim

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