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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 120 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  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. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. root — of a word
  3. rock — music
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. mate — to breed
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. mate — a friend
  14. rock — a stone
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bear — the animal
  17. vault — a safe
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. mate — a partner
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. root — the cause
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  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