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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bank — for money
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. last — to go on
  7. bank — of a river
  8. craft — boats
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bank — for money
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. craft — a skill
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — a trail
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. game — a match
  19. game — wild animals
  20. kick — in football
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. last — finally
  23. last — final
  24. fan — to cool the air

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