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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 need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. current — happening now
  3. snap — to click
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. current — of water
  9. content — happy
  10. vault — a safe
  11. root — of a word
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. current — electric
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. craft — a skill
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. root — of a plant
  24. content — the amount

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