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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: root · craft · bear · tear · suit · kid

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bear — the animal
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — the cause
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. suit — clothes
  8. craft — boats
  9. bear — the animal
  10. suit — to fit
  11. kid — child
  12. root — of a plant
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. suit — in cards
  17. craft — a skill
  18. kid — to tease

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