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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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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 · dip · rush · mug · snap · root · game · fan

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. rush — hurry
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — boats
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. game — wild animals
  7. mug — a cup
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. snap — to click
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to sink
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a face
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — of a word
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. game — a match
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. rush — a thrill

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