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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. craft — boats
  3. root — of a word
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. object — an aim
  7. mate — a friend
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. mate — a partner
  11. craft — a skill
  12. chest — a box
  13. band — a music group
  14. sharp — clever
  15. chest — of your body
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. object — a thing
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. chest — of your body
  20. mate — to breed
  21. band — a ring
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. root — the cause
  24. object — to protest

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