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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. can — a tin
  5. root — of a plant
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. rock — a stone
  8. can — a tin
  9. root — the cause
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. ball — a dance
  13. root — of a word
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. last — finally
  17. can — to be able to
  18. rock — music
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a ring
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. last — to go on

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