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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. root — the cause
  3. staff — employees
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — to shout
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. root — of a word
  12. staff — a stick
  13. stand — to bear
  14. last — finally
  15. staff — employees
  16. last — final
  17. season — of the year
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. root — of a plant
  21. last — to go on
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. season — in sport

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