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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 120 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. snap — to click
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. chest — of your body
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. root — of a plant
  8. chest — a box
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. root — the cause
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. root — of a word
  14. rock — music
  15. chest — of your body
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. rock — a stone
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — in music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. rock — to move gently

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