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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. face — to point toward
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bank — of a river
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — in cards
  8. toast — bread
  9. face — part of the head
  10. root — the cause
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. root — of a plant
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bank — for money
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bank — for money
  18. hand — help
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. face — to confront
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. root — of a word

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