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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: can · hand · toast · chair · root · rock · wound · stand

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. can — a tin
  8. rock — music
  9. root — of a plant
  10. chair — a leader
  11. hand — help
  12. rock — a stone
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. can — to be able to
  18. toast — bread
  19. root — the cause
  20. wound — an injury
  21. can — a tin
  22. root — of a word
  23. hand — in cards
  24. wound — an injury

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