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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 124 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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. rush — hurry
  4. root — the cause
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mark — a trace
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — clothes
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — letters
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. root — of a plant
  20. suit — to fit
  21. spell — a short time
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mark — a grade
  24. straw — dry grass

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