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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: mug · bear · root · stand · pop · tear · mark · straw

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. root — of a plant
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a cup
  6. root — of a word
  7. stand — to bear
  8. mark — a trace
  9. tear — to rip
  10. mug — a face
  11. pop — soda
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — from crying
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. root — the cause
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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