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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. season — in sport
  4. rush — hurry
  5. root — of a plant
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. season — of the year
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. root — the cause
  14. band — a ring
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — an amount
  17. bank — for money
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. bank — of a river
  20. root — of a word
  21. bank — for money
  22. band — a music group
  23. degree — from a university
  24. perch — the fish

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