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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 120 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bore — to tire
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. root — the cause
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. ball — a dance
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. root — of a word
  16. saw — the tool
  17. root — of a plant
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bore — to drill
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. ball — a great time
  24. saw — the tool

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