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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: wound · file · cell · date · toast · root · wave · craft

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. toast — bread
  5. craft — a skill
  6. root — the cause
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. cell — a phone
  9. wound — an injury
  10. file — a document
  11. root — of a word
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wound — an injury
  14. file — a line of people
  15. root — of a plant
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. date — the fruit
  21. cell — in biology
  22. file — a tool
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a handicraft

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