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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rest — a break
  3. root — of a word
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bank — of a river
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. root — of a plant
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bank — for money
  15. pound — a weight
  16. mine — for digging
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rush — hurry
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. root — the cause
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bank — for money
  24. mine — belonging to me

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