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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. roll — a cake
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. root — the cause
  6. hand — help
  7. root — of a plant
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. roll — a list
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. mate — to breed
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. wax — to grow
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — a partner
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. hand — in cards
  23. root — of a word
  24. chair — a professorship

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