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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. root — of a word
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — tied together
  5. file — a line of people
  6. scale — in music
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bound — obliged
  9. craft — a skill
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — moving air
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to bend
  15. scale — size or range
  16. root — the cause
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. file — a tool
  21. rash — hasty
  22. file — a document
  23. craft — boats
  24. rash — a series

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