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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 120 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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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: root · rush · chair · hide · club · wave · foot · bore

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. root — of a word
  3. chair — a leader
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bore — to tire
  9. root — the cause
  10. foot — a measure
  11. root — of a plant
  12. club — for dancing
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. club — a group
  15. bore — to drill
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. club — for golf
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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