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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. band — a ring
  6. pitch — completely
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. root — of a word
  13. prune — to trim
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. lean — thin
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. root — of a plant
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. lean — to bend
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. perch — the fish

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