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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. craft — a skill
  4. root — the cause
  5. ball — a dance
  6. root — of a plant
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wound — an injury
  9. ball — a great time
  10. root — of a word
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. toast — bread
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. wound — an injury
  18. craft — boats
  19. cue — for pool
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. cell — in biology
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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