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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bass — the fish
  4. root — of a word
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a skill
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. root — the cause
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bound — obliged
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bass — low music
  20. bound — tied together
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bound — certain
  24. bass — the instrument

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