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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — the cause
  4. present — the time now
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. rush — hurry
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. present — there
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. tear — from crying
  14. present — a gift
  15. plane — a tool
  16. charge — electricity
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. root — of a word
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rock — a stone
  21. tear — to rip
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — a price
  24. rock — music

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