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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. root — the cause
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. hand — help
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. root — of a word
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. spring — of water
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. spring — the season
  20. spring — a coil
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. hand — in cards
  23. root — of a plant
  24. dip — to sink

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