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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. court — of a king
  4. root — of a plant
  5. season — of the year
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. wake — a trail
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. court — of law
  16. root — the cause
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. court — for sport
  19. prune — to trim
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rush — hurry
  23. root — of a word
  24. season — in sport

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