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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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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: bass · root · wind · craft · hide · mark · leaves · saw

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. root — the cause
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wind — moving air
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. craft — boats
  9. mark — a trace
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bass — the fish
  13. craft — a skill
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. root — of a word
  18. saw — the tool
  19. root — of a plant
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. wind — moving air
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. leaves — to go away

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