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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  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. root — of a word
  2. craft — boats
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. kick — in football
  6. track — to keep track
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. chair — a leader
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. content — the amount
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. root — the cause
  17. content — happy
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. track — a song
  20. track — a path
  21. craft — a skill
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. root — of a plant
  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