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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: rock · root · wound · hide · kid · saw · suit · bulb

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bulb — for light
  4. suit — in cards
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bulb — for light
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. rock — a stone
  12. suit — to fit
  13. root — the cause
  14. suit — clothes
  15. kid — child
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. rock — music
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. kid — to tease
  23. root — of a plant
  24. saw — the tool

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