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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 120 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. root — of a word
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — to rip
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — electric
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. current — of water
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. tear — from crying
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. root — the cause
  23. root — of a plant
  24. safe — out of danger

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