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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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Word bank
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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: staff · present · roll · spring · foot · craft · ruler · season

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. present — a gift
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. roll — a list
  6. foot — a measure
  7. spring — of water
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. craft — boats
  12. spring — the season
  13. season — of the year
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. staff — a stick
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. spring — a coil
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. season — in sport
  20. roll — a cake
  21. present — there
  22. craft — a skill
  23. present — the time now
  24. ruler — a monarch

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