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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bore — to drill
  5. saw — the tool
  6. root — of a plant
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. row — a line
  11. bore — to tire
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. saw — the tool
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. roll — a list
  18. row — to paddle
  19. mark — a trace
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a word
  23. roll — a cake
  24. mark — a grade

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