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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: leaves · shower · root · snap · craft · key · cold · bound

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. shower — rain
  4. key — the most important part
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bound — certain
  8. root — the cause
  9. shower — to wash
  10. key — in music
  11. key — for a lock
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. craft — boats
  14. root — of a word
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. cold — an illness
  18. snap — to click
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. bound — tied together
  21. root — of a plant
  22. cold — not warm
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bound — obliged

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