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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. suit — in cards
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. chair — a leader
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — to fit
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bark — to shout
  11. stand — to bear
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — the cause
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. root — of a plant
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. straw — a straw man

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