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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pop — to visit
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pop — soda
  8. root — the cause
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fall — the season
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. staff — employees
  14. pop — music
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. root — of a word
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fork — in a road
  23. root — of a plant
  24. staff — employees

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