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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. present — a gift
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. root — of a plant
  6. wake — a trail
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. present — there
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bound — tied together
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. bound — certain
  16. craft — a skill
  17. present — the time now
  18. root — the cause
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bound — obliged
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. root — of a word

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