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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. club — for dancing
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — to handle
  7. club — a group
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. shower — rain
  11. bass — low music
  12. root — the cause
  13. fall — the season
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bass — the fish
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. shower — to wash
  18. root — of a word
  19. fall — to drop
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. fall — to drop
  23. club — for golf
  24. deal — an agreement

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