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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mine — for digging
  7. root — of a word
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. game — wild animals
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. root — of a plant
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. root — the cause
  16. shower — rain
  17. game — a match
  18. fine — high quality
  19. mate — a partner
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. shower — to wash
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. fine — all right
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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