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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. club — a group
  3. rash — hasty
  4. club — for dancing
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. rash — a series
  7. toast — bread
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — a permit
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. club — for golf
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. file — a document
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. file — a tool
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. root — of a word
  20. file — a line of people
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. root — of a plant

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