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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 black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. hand — in cards
  3. rest — a break
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bear — the animal
  9. root — the cause
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. cell — a phone
  13. rest — what's left
  14. root — of a plant
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. hand — help
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. root — of a word
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rush — hurry
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rest — what's left

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