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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. can — to be able to
  3. drill — army training
  4. cap — of ice
  5. root — of a word
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. can — a tin
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. cap — a hat
  10. root — the cause
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — the tool
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. kid — child
  16. cap — a lid
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. kid — to tease
  21. root — of a plant
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. can — a tin

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