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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. kid — to tease
  5. root — the cause
  6. staff — employees
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. kid — child
  11. sharp — clever
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. staff — a stick
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — a price
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — of a plant
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — to crush
  21. charge — electricity
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. staff — employees
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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