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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — boats
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. current — of water
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. dip — to sink
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. root — of a word
  11. current — electric
  12. current — happening now
  13. present — there
  14. root — of a plant
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. craft — a skill
  18. spell — a short time
  19. present — the time now
  20. root — the cause
  21. spell — magic
  22. present — a gift
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. spell — letters

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