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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. roll — a cake
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. roll — a list
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a word
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. rock — a stone
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. clip — a video
  11. root — of a plant
  12. clip — for paper
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. clip — to cut
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. spring — a coil
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. spring — the season
  23. spring — of water
  24. rock — music

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