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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. root — of a word
  5. rock — music
  6. bear — the animal
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bear — the animal
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — the cause
  12. current — electric
  13. current — of water
  14. current — happening now
  15. last — final
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. last — to go on
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. stand — to bear
  20. last — finally
  21. spring — of water
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. spring — the season
  24. stand — for spectators

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