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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.

Words on the sheet
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: chair · spring · craft · root · current · cabinet · bear · lash

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bear — the animal
  3. spring — a coil
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. spring — of water
  6. craft — a skill
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. root — of a plant
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. spring — the season
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. craft — boats
  16. root — the cause
  17. chair — a leader
  18. root — of a word
  19. current — of water
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. current — electric
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. craft — a handicraft

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