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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 116 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: root · mine · wind · lie · pit · saw · straw · board

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. root — of a plant
  3. pit — in a race
  4. mine — for digging
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. board — a committee
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wind — moving air
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. root — the cause
  18. pit — a hole
  19. root — of a word
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. lie — to recline
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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