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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. rule — government
  5. root — of a word
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. cold — not warm
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. roll — a list
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. stand — to bear
  12. roll — a cake
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cold — an illness
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. deal — to handle
  17. rule — a law
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — the cause
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. straw — dry grass

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