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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — to paddle
  3. wind — moving air
  4. key — for a lock
  5. root — of a plant
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. present — the time now
  8. mug — a cup
  9. key — the most important part
  10. game — wild animals
  11. present — there
  12. game — a match
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. root — the cause
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. present — a gift
  17. wind — moving air
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. mug — a face
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. key — in music
  23. root — of a word
  24. mug — to rob

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