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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: straw · fall · fan · mug · rock · fork · bark · root

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. fall — to drop
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bark — to shout
  7. root — of a word
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. rock — music
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. fork — in a road
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. mug — a face
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a plant
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a cup

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