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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 120 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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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: root · dip · chest · craft · deal · row · wax · band

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. wax — to grow
  3. root — of a plant
  4. craft — boats
  5. row — a line
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — a box
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. row — to paddle
  13. root — of a word
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. band — a music group
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. chest — of your body
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. band — a ring
  21. deal — to handle
  22. root — the cause
  23. dip — to sink
  24. deal — a big deal

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