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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 120 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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. cap — of ice
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stock — shares
  5. perch — the fish
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. root — the cause
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. fall — the season
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. cap — a hat
  13. fall — to drop
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. root — of a word
  16. cap — a lid
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — a stone
  20. root — of a plant
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. rock — music
  23. stock — goods
  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