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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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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  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. straw — a straw man
  2. can — a tin
  3. object — a thing
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. root — of a word
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. capital — a city
  8. can — a tin
  9. spring — the season
  10. rush — hurry
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. can — to be able to
  13. object — to protest
  14. root — the cause
  15. spring — of water
  16. capital — money
  17. object — an aim
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. spring — a coil
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. root — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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