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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. root — of a word
  4. rock — music
  5. root — the cause
  6. spell — letters
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stand — to bear
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rock — a stone
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. root — of a plant
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. spell — a short time
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. spell — magic
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. mouse — for a computer

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