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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. root — of a plant
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. object — a thing
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. object — an aim
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. root — of a word
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. stem — to come from
  15. object — to protest
  16. tube — the underground
  17. deal — to handle
  18. root — the cause

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