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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. race — a contest
  4. mate — to breed
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. mate — a friend
  7. deal — to handle
  8. fall — to drop
  9. root — of a plant
  10. prune — to trim
  11. race — humankind
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fall — the season
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. race — the arms race
  17. root — the cause
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rush — hurry
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. mate — a partner
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. root — of a word

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