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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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468
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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. track — a path
  6. suit — clothes
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. suit — in cards
  9. snap — to click
  10. root — of a word
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cold — not warm
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. track — to keep track
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. root — the cause
  22. cold — an illness
  23. track — a song
  24. cold — the Cold War

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