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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. craft — boats
  4. tear — from crying
  5. root — of a word
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bulb — for light
  13. saw — the tool
  14. root — the cause
  15. cell — a phone
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — to rob
  19. craft — a skill
  20. tear — to rip
  21. root — of a plant
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — in biology
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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