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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. root — of a word
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — a box
  6. spell — letters
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — to sink
  10. mark — a trace
  11. staff — employees
  12. root — the cause
  13. chest — of your body
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. staff — employees
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. spell — magic
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. mark — a grade
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. spell — a short time
  24. root — of a plant

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