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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 · last · cold · root · cap · hide · staff · mug

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. cold — not warm
  3. cap — of ice
  4. sharp — clever
  5. mug — to rob
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. mug — a face
  8. root — the cause
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. cold — an illness
  12. staff — employees
  13. last — final
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mug — a cup
  16. cap — a hat
  17. staff — employees
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. root — of a plant
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. last — finally
  22. last — to go on
  23. cap — a lid
  24. staff — a stick

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