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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. swing — music
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. land — a country
  5. root — of a word
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. root — the cause
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. object — to protest
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. craft — a skill
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — a thing
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. craft — boats
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — in golf
  22. root — of a plant
  23. land — ground
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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