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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  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. root — the cause
  2. march — the month
  3. hand — help
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. march — music
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. rash — a series
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. march — the month
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. root — of a word
  20. hand — in cards
  21. squash — the sport
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rash — hasty
  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