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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rash — hasty
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rest — what's left
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — the cause
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rest — what's left
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. rash — a series
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. root — of a word
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. rest — a break
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rash — on the skin

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