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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bear — the animal
  3. degree — an amount
  4. track — a path
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. root — the cause
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. degree — temperature
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bear — the animal
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. deal — to handle
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. shower — rain
  18. root — of a word
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a song
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — to wash
  24. degree — from a university

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