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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: rock · pass · march · dip · root · straw · can · hand

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. rock — music
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. march — the month
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. root — of a word
  7. dip — to sink
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. root — the cause
  13. rock — a stone
  14. can — a tin
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. hand — in cards
  18. pass — a permit
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. hand — help
  24. pass — to spend time

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