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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — the underground
  4. court — for sport
  5. object — an aim
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. court — of a king
  8. root — of a plant
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. root — the cause
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. fall — to drop
  14. band — a music group
  15. deal — to handle
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — to protest
  18. fall — the season
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. court — of law
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. band — a ring
  24. root — of a word

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