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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.

Make a worksheet

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: net · root · bay · last · mine · press · rash · craft

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. root — of a word
  3. last — to go on
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. rash — a series
  6. craft — boats
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. last — final
  9. rash — hasty
  10. root — the cause
  11. mine — for digging
  12. press — a publisher
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — to push
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. root — of a plant
  20. last — finally
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. net — for catching
  23. craft — a skill
  24. net — after costs

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