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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. root — of a plant
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — to bear
  5. key — for a lock
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. root — the cause
  8. mark — a trace
  9. saw — the tool
  10. current — electric
  11. mark — a grade
  12. key — in music
  13. current — happening now
  14. tube — the underground
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. tube — a container
  17. key — the most important part
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. current — of water
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. root — of a word
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. saw — the tool
  24. straw — a straw man

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