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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. craft — boats
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. firm — steady
  5. root — of a word
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — soda
  9. pit — a hole
  10. root — of a plant
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. snap — to click
  13. root — the cause
  14. pop — to visit
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. pit — in a race
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. firm — decided
  23. craft — a skill
  24. wave — of the sea

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