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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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468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: squash · staff · root · stem · hide · stick · suit · hand

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. staff — employees
  3. suit — in cards
  4. squash — to crush
  5. staff — a stick
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hand — help
  10. stem — to come from
  11. staff — employees
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. root — of a plant
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. root — the cause
  17. suit — to fit
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. squash — the sport
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. suit — clothes
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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