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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
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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: row · craft · root · season · cabinet · rash · chest · foot

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  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. rash — hasty
  2. chest — a box
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. foot — a measure
  8. root — of a plant
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. chest — of your body
  11. craft — boats
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. rash — a series
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. season — of the year
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. craft — a skill
  19. season — in sport
  20. row — a line
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — the cause
  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