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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 116 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've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. kid — to tease
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. net — for catching
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. swing — music
  9. net — after costs
  10. craft — a skill
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. stem — to come from
  14. kid — child
  15. root — of a word
  16. net — in sport
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. root — of a plant
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. root — the cause
  21. pound — a weight
  22. swing — to play on
  23. craft — boats
  24. swing — in golf

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