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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — a coil
  3. craft — a skill
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. root — of a word
  8. current — happening now
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. root — of a plant
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. root — the cause
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. spring — of water
  17. lean — thin
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. craft — boats
  20. current — electric
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. lean — to bend
  23. current — of water
  24. trunk — of a car

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