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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. tube — the underground
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. fall — to drop
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. root — the cause
  10. lie — to recline
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. root — of a plant
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. root — of a word
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. tube — a container
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bowl — a football final

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