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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. roll — a cake
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. craft — boats
  6. root — of a word
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. date — the fruit
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. craft — a skill
  15. stem — to come from
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. roll — a list
  18. root — the cause
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. root — of a plant
  24. straw — a straw man

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