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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. rock — music
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — the cause
  6. snap — to click
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — in sport
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. season — of the year
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bat — the animal
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. stand — to bear
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. root — of a word

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