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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. mate — a friend
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. root — of a plant
  5. craft — boats
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pop — music
  9. tear — to rip
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. rash — hasty
  12. root — of a word
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. root — the cause
  15. mate — to breed
  16. craft — a skill
  17. scale — size or range
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mate — a partner
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — to visit
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — in music
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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