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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. cap — a hat
  7. root — the cause
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. drill — the tool
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. root — of a word
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. drill — a practice
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. chair — a leader
  20. cap — a lid
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. drill — army training
  23. band — a music group
  24. root — of a plant

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