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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. present — a gift
  5. root — of a plant
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. last — final
  11. bass — the fish
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. last — to go on
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. stem — to come from
  17. last — finally
  18. root — the cause
  19. present — the time now
  20. rush — hurry
  21. root — of a word
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. present — there
  24. bass — low music

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