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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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Word bank
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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. root — the cause
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. key — for a lock
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. hand — in cards
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. root — of a plant
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. key — in music
  21. bat — the animal
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bat — in an idiom
  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