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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.

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: craft · rush · root · wave · season · toast · last · arm

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. season — of the year
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. rush — hurry
  7. craft — a skill
  8. last — to go on
  9. toast — bread
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. season — in sport
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. craft — boats
  16. last — final
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — of a plant
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. root — the cause
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. last — finally

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