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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 116 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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  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. land — ground
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. staff — a stick
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. root — of a plant
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. sharp — clever
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. land — a country
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. root — of a word
  16. can — to be able to
  17. land — to come down
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. root — the cause
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — high quality
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. straw — a straw man
  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