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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. mine — for digging
  4. pop — soda
  5. root — of a plant
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pop — music
  8. wind — moving air
  9. chair — a leader
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. root — the cause
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. pop — to visit
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wind — moving air
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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