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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 116 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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. key — the most important part
  11. root — of a word
  12. can — a tin
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — the cause
  15. wound — an injury
  16. key — in music
  17. key — for a lock
  18. wound — an injury

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