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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spring · staff · saw · safe · root · straw · bat · racket

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. root — of a word
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. root — the cause
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. staff — employees
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bat — the animal
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — a strongbox

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