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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. chair — a leader
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wax — to grow
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. root — of a word
  12. rest — what's left
  13. root — the cause
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. track — a song
  16. track — to keep track
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. lie — to recline
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. root — of a plant
  24. track — a path

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