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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. craft — a skill
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. root — the cause
  9. toast — bread
  10. object — to protest
  11. root — of a plant
  12. object — a thing
  13. bass — the fish
  14. date — the fruit
  15. object — an aim
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. root — of a word
  18. craft — boats
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bass — low music
  24. toast — the most admired

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