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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: craft · racket · clip · root · fan · stick · hide · shower

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. clip — for paper
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. clip — to cut
  5. root — of a word
  6. shower — rain
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. root — the cause
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. root — of a plant
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. craft — boats
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — to wash
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. clip — a video
  24. craft — a skill

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