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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. chip — to eat
  3. root — the cause
  4. pound — a weight
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. wind — moving air
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — boats
  9. mate — to breed
  10. wind — moving air
  11. root — of a plant
  12. chip — for betting
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. face — part of the head
  17. mate — a partner
  18. face — to point toward
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. mate — a friend
  21. face — to confront
  22. root — of a word
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. pound — to hit hard

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