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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 always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. race — the arms race
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. root — of a word
  8. drill — a practice
  9. scale — in music
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. race — a contest
  13. scale — size or range
  14. race — humankind
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — the tool
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a plant
  22. toast — bread
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. calf — a young animal

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