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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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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: sharp · hide · root · cap · key · chair · last · ruler

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. key — for a lock
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — the cause
  7. last — to go on
  8. key — the most important part
  9. last — final
  10. cap — of ice
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. sharp — clever
  13. key — in music
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. root — of a plant
  18. cap — a hat
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. chair — a leader
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. cap — a lid
  23. last — finally
  24. ruler — for measuring

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