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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. craft — a skill
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. craft — boats
  5. lean — to bend
  6. root — the cause
  7. lean — thin
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. root — of a plant
  10. present — there
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. rush — hurry
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. root — of a word
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. present — the time now
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. mine — for digging
  24. lie — an untruth

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