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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. drill — a practice
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. drill — the tool
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — the cause
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stock — goods
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. drill — army training
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — shares
  21. wax — to grow
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wound — an injury

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