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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. bear — the animal
  4. perch — the fish
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. root — of a word
  13. stand — to bear
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bear — the animal
  17. snap — to click
  18. roll — a cake
  19. root — of a plant
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. root — the cause
  24. straw — dry grass

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