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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. root — of a plant
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. chair — a leader
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a ring
  10. hand — help
  11. hand — in cards
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. root — of a word
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. root — the cause
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a professorship

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