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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 116 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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468
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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — of a plant
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. capital — a city
  8. pass — a permit
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. capital — money
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. row — a line
  19. root — the cause
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. chair — a leader
  24. straw — dry grass

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