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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. cue — a signal
  4. kid — child
  5. cue — a hint
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. spring — of water
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. spring — a coil
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. craft — a skill
  13. cue — for pool
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. root — the cause
  16. kid — to tease
  17. vault — a safe
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. craft — boats
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. march — the month
  23. spring — the season
  24. stand — on your feet

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