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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. wound — an injury
  3. foot — a measure
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. wound — an injury
  8. club — for dancing
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. club — a group
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. craft — boats
  13. rush — hurry
  14. tube — a container
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. wake — a trail
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. club — for golf
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. craft — a skill
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — the underground

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