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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. file — a tool
  4. root — the cause
  5. file — a line of people
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. swing — in golf
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. staff — employees
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a music group
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. root — of a plant
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. staff — employees
  17. file — a document
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. swing — to play on
  21. staff — a stick
  22. rush — hurry
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. swing — music

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