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

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. stand — to bear
  5. saw — the tool
  6. root — of a word
  7. staff — employees
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. deal — to handle
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cold — an illness
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. staff — employees
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. root — of a plant
  23. cold — not warm
  24. root — the cause

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