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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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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: perch · straw · lean · rock · face · key · stand · root

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  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. straw — dry grass
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. key — the most important part
  4. face — to point toward
  5. rock — music
  6. key — in music
  7. perch — the fish
  8. rock — a stone
  9. face — part of the head
  10. root — of a plant
  11. stand — to bear
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. root — of a word
  14. key — for a lock
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. lean — thin
  20. root — the cause
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. lean — to bend
  23. face — to confront
  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