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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 120 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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. spell — letters
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. craft — boats
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. stock — shares
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. rock — music
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. fork — in a road
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — a short time
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. craft — a skill
  16. stock — goods
  17. root — of a plant
  18. rock — a stone
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. root — of a word
  22. branch — a division
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. lash — to lash out

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