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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 116 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. craft — boats
  3. root — of a plant
  4. sharp — clever
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. root — of a word
  7. race — humankind
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. court — of a king
  10. craft — a skill
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. court — of law
  14. root — the cause
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. mark — a trace
  18. race — a contest
  19. court — for sport
  20. race — the arms race
  21. mark — a grade
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. sharp — exactly

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