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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: chest · bear · game · straw · leaves · rock · root · can

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. rock — a stone
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. rock — music
  9. game — wild animals
  10. chest — of your body
  11. can — a tin
  12. bear — the animal
  13. chest — a box
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. can — a tin
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. game — a match
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. root — the cause
  21. chest — of your body
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bear — the animal
  24. root — of a plant

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