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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. root — of a word
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. cue — a signal
  6. staff — employees
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. cue — a hint
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a plant
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. kid — child
  19. staff — a stick
  20. cue — for pool
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. staff — employees
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. kid — to tease

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