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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: march · craft · root · pop · last · lash · toast · fall

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. toast — bread
  3. pop — music
  4. root — of a word
  5. last — finally
  6. root — of a plant
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. march — the month
  9. craft — boats
  10. last — final
  11. craft — a skill
  12. root — the cause
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. march — the month
  16. last — to go on
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. pop — to visit
  20. march — music
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. fall — the season
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. toast — the most admired

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