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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: foot · degree · swing · straw · leaves · patient · bear · root

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. root — the cause
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bear — the animal
  6. degree — temperature
  7. swing — to play on
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bear — the animal
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. degree — from a university
  16. root — of a plant
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. swing — music
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. root — of a word
  21. foot — a measure
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. leaves — of a tree

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