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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. pit — in a race
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. wake — a trail
  8. club — for dancing
  9. root — of a plant
  10. rash — hasty
  11. club — a group
  12. root — of a word
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bear — the animal
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bear — the animal
  18. root — the cause
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bore — to tire
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bore — to drill
  23. club — for golf
  24. bore — gave birth

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