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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — of a word
  5. rock — a stone
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. key — in music
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. key — for a lock
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rock — music
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. lean — thin
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. key — the most important part
  19. root — the cause
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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