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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. root — the cause
  3. object — an aim
  4. band — a music group
  5. object — to protest
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. craft — boats
  8. root — of a word
  9. object — a thing
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. root — of a plant
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. craft — a skill
  17. branch — a division
  18. roll — a list
  19. band — a ring
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. roll — a cake
  24. lash — an eyelash

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