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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. root — of a word
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bound — obliged
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. shower — to wash
  7. key — in music
  8. wind — moving air
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. key — the most important part
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. bound — certain
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bound — tied together
  16. wind — moving air
  17. root — the cause
  18. rock — a stone
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. root — of a plant
  21. shower — rain
  22. key — for a lock
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. rock — music

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