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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. mine — for digging
  3. rest — what's left
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bear — the animal
  6. root — of a word
  7. bear — the animal
  8. saw — the tool
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rest — what's left
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. root — of a plant
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. root — the cause
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. mine — belonging to me

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