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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: net · squash · mug · stand · root · bear · trunk · straw

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. mug — a face
  4. root — of a plant
  5. net — for catching
  6. root — the cause
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. squash — to crush
  9. net — in sport
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. net — after costs
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. mug — to rob
  16. squash — the sport
  17. root — of a word
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. mug — a cup
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bear — the animal
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bear — the animal
  24. squash — the vegetable

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