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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. rush — hurry
  3. fall — to drop
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. root — the cause
  8. face — to confront
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. suit — to fit
  13. face — to point toward
  14. fall — the season
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. root — of a plant
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. face — part of the head
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. root — of a word
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — in cards

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