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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  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. root — of a plant
  2. cap — a lid
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. content — the amount
  5. pop — soda
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — to crush
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. root — of a word
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pop — to visit
  14. cap — of ice
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. cap — a hat
  17. pass — a permit
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. pop — music
  20. root — the cause
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. content — happy
  23. squash — the sport
  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