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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fan · bass · root · rush · straw · spring · stick · lean

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. rush — hurry
  3. spring — of water
  4. bass — low music
  5. spring — the season
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. root — of a word
  9. lean — to bend
  10. root — the cause
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lean — thin
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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