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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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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rest — what's left
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. root — of a word
  5. rest — a break
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. wind — moving air
  10. cue — a signal
  11. root — the cause
  12. can — a tin
  13. cue — for pool
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cue — a hint
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. root — of a plant
  20. can — to be able to
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. can — a tin
  24. temple — a place of worship

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