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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.

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: chair · root · fan · straw · leaves · toast · rush · present

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. chair — a leader
  4. present — there
  5. rush — hurry
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. present — the time now
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. toast — bread
  13. root — the cause
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. root — of a plant
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. present — a gift
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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