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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. chest — of your body
  3. wind — moving air
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bank — for money
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. present — there
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. chest — a box
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bank — of a river
  15. present — the time now
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. wind — moving air
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. chest — of your body
  20. root — of a word
  21. present — a gift
  22. bass — low music
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bank — for 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