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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 120 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: foot · degree · stick · shower · root · lie · racket · straw

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. degree — from a university
  7. root — the cause
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. root — of a plant
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. lie — to recline
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. degree — an amount
  20. degree — temperature
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. root — of a word
  24. foot — a measure

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