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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. craft — a skill
  3. kid — child
  4. chair — a leader
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. suit — clothes
  9. root — the cause
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. craft — boats
  12. root — of a word
  13. season — of the year
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. root — of a plant
  16. snap — to click
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. suit — to fit
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. suit — in cards
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. kid — to tease
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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