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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 120 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — boats
  3. clip — for paper
  4. clip — a video
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — for a lock
  8. root — the cause
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. clip — to cut
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. key — in music
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — a container
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. stem — to come from
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — of a word
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. stem — of a plant

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