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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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468
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: cold · root · lean · racket · rush · face · pass · craft

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. root — of a plant
  3. craft — a skill
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. cold — not warm
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. face — part of the head
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. root — of a word
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. root — the cause
  13. craft — boats
  14. rush — hurry
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to bend
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. face — to confront
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. pass — a permit
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. face — to point toward
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. racket — for tennis

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