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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. root — the cause
  3. swing — in golf
  4. suit — in cards
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. staff — a stick
  8. season — in sport
  9. swing — to play on
  10. suit — to fit
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. suit — clothes
  13. root — of a plant
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. sharp — clever
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — music
  18. root — of a word
  19. swing — music
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — employees
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. sharp — exactly

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