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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: lean · toast · root · clip · deal · straw · cell · bay

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. lean — thin
  4. toast — bread
  5. clip — a video
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. root — of a word
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. clip — to cut
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. cell — in biology
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. clip — for paper
  17. deal — to handle
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. root — the cause
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. root — of a plant
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. cell — a phone
  24. lean — to bend

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