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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. fine — all right
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. root — of a plant
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. last — final
  10. last — finally
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. last — to go on
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a trace
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. fine — high quality
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. root — the cause
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. mouse — the animal

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