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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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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: last · spring · kid · root · craft · wave · row · fork

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. craft — a skill
  4. kid — to tease
  5. spring — the season
  6. last — finally
  7. row — to paddle
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. spring — of water
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. fork — in a road
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. spring — a coil
  17. kid — child
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. craft — boats
  20. last — final
  21. root — of a plant
  22. row — a line
  23. last — to go on
  24. root — of a word

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