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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: sharp · cell · mate · mug · band · root · saw · hide

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mate — a friend
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. band — a ring
  6. mug — to rob
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. mug — a face
  10. root — of a plant
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. mate — a partner
  15. cell — in biology
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. mate — to breed
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. root — the cause
  21. cell — a phone
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. root — of a word
  24. band — a music group

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