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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. root — the cause
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. root — of a plant
  6. craft — boats
  7. bound — tied together
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bulb — for light
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bulb — for light
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bound — certain
  15. lean — thin
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. craft — a skill
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — a cake
  21. root — of a word
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. bound — obliged
  24. calf — of the leg

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