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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bound — obliged
  4. root — of a word
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. root — the cause
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bound — certain
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. race — the arms race
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. bound — tied together
  14. prune — to trim
  15. toast — bread
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. ground — a position
  18. race — humankind
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — the earth
  22. race — a contest
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. root — of a plant

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