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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: mug · bear · roll · deal · straw · cabinet · root · row

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. mug — a cup
  3. roll — a list
  4. root — of a word
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. mug — a face
  7. deal — to handle
  8. row — a line
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. mug — to rob
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. roll — a cake
  20. root — the cause
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — to paddle
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. bear — the animal

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