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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.

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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. root — the cause
  3. rush — hurry
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. can — a tin
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. staff — employees
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. staff — a stick
  12. can — a tin
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. root — of a plant
  15. ground — a position
  16. can — to be able to
  17. ground — crushed
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. root — of a word
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. band — a music group
  23. ground — the earth
  24. staff — employees

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