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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. firm — steady
  3. face — to point toward
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. root — of a word
  9. firm — a company
  10. face — to confront
  11. root — the cause
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a cup
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. face — part of the head
  17. mug — a face
  18. fork — in a road
  19. firm — decided
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bowl — a football final

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