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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. mate — a friend
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — a skill
  9. root — of a word
  10. season — in sport
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. root — the cause
  16. track — to keep track
  17. mate — a partner
  18. root — of a plant
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mate — to breed
  21. track — a song
  22. track — a path
  23. season — of the year
  24. fan — to cool the air

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