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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. root — of a word
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. mug — a face
  5. kid — child
  6. root — of a plant
  7. mug — a cup
  8. saw — the tool
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. mug — to rob
  12. hand — in cards
  13. band — a ring
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. root — the cause
  16. saw — the tool
  17. hand — help
  18. kid — to tease
  19. suit — to fit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. suit — in cards
  23. prune — to trim
  24. suit — clothes

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