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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 116 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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. season — of the year
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a match
  7. object — an aim
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. root — the cause
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. kid — to tease
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. kid — child
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. root — of a word
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — to protest
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. season — in sport

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