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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. root — of a word
  3. stand — to bear
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. pop — music
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. pop — soda
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. root — of a plant
  14. pop — to visit
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. root — the cause
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. craft — boats

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