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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. root — of a plant
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. swing — to play on
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. race — the arms race
  8. track — a path
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. root — the cause
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. race — humankind
  13. drill — army training
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — a practice
  17. swing — in golf
  18. race — a contest
  19. rush — hurry
  20. toast — bread
  21. swing — music
  22. track — to keep track
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. root — of a word

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