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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. can — to be able to
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. can — a tin
  8. root — the cause
  9. staff — a stick
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. can — a tin
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. root — of a word
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. rash — a series
  22. staff — employees
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. staff — employees

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