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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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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: band · suit · mouse · stick · saw · cold · dip · root

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cold — not warm
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. root — the cause
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. band — a ring
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. dip — to sink
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. suit — clothes
  16. root — of a plant
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cold — an illness
  19. root — of a word
  20. band — a music group
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. suit — in cards
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. suit — to fit

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