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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. root — of a word
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. lean — to bend
  6. spring — the season
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. spring — a coil
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. cold — an illness
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a plant
  14. cold — not warm
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pass — a permit
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. craft — boats
  21. lean — thin
  22. wake — a trail
  23. spring — of water
  24. craft — a skill

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