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

Word bank: present · bass · root · straw · track · rest · wake · tear

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. track — to keep track
  4. rest — what's left
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — the time now
  8. root — the cause
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wake — a trail
  11. root — of a word
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. present — there
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. track — a path
  17. tear — to rip
  18. track — a song
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bass — the fish
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bass — low music
  24. tear — from crying

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