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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: band · fan · stick · net · root · saw · cap · hide

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. band — a music group
  3. net — after costs
  4. cap — a hat
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. root — of a word
  7. cap — of ice
  8. saw — the tool
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. saw — the tool
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. net — for catching
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. net — in sport
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. band — a ring
  19. cap — a lid
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. root — of a plant
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. fan — to cool the air

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