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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. rash — hasty
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. toast — bread
  5. craft — a skill
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. pop — music
  9. root — of a word
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. pop — soda
  12. chair — a leader
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. root — of a plant
  15. craft — boats
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rash — a series
  22. root — the cause
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. stem — to come from

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