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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. can — a tin
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — of a word
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — of water
  8. capital — a city
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. current — electric
  11. can — to be able to
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. tear — from crying
  14. can — a tin
  15. tear — to rip
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. tear — from crying
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. root — the cause
  24. capital — money

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