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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. root — the cause
  3. track — a path
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — to bear
  6. track — a song
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — the tool
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. root — of a plant
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. spell — a short time
  16. snap — to click
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. track — to keep track
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. spell — magic
  22. root — of a word
  23. drill — a practice
  24. spell — letters

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