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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.

Words on the sheet
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: rash · pop · season · hide · bore · chair · root · sharp

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. rash — hasty
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — music
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. root — of a word
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bore — to tire
  14. root — of a plant
  15. pop — to visit
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. season — of the year
  19. sharp — clever
  20. season — in sport
  21. root — the cause
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. chair — a leader
  24. bore — to drill

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