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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  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. root — of a word
  2. game — a match
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. fine — high quality
  8. wind — moving air
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. root — of a plant
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. fine — all right
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — thin
  20. root — the cause
  21. game — wild animals
  22. rush — hurry
  23. wind — moving air
  24. straw — a straw man

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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