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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. root — of a plant
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. ground — the earth
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. staff — a stick
  9. root — of a word
  10. fall — to drop
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. ground — a position
  13. staff — employees
  14. root — the cause
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. hand — in cards
  17. ground — crushed
  18. fall — the season
  19. staff — employees
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. hand — help
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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