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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 120 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: hand · root · kid · cap · plane · board · firm · mug

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. cap — of ice
  3. hand — in cards
  4. firm — steady
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. firm — a company
  7. board — a committee
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. firm — decided
  10. cap — a hat
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. mug — to rob
  13. plane — a tool
  14. kid — to tease
  15. mug — a cup
  16. root — of a plant
  17. hand — help
  18. kid — child
  19. mug — a face
  20. root — the cause
  21. cap — a lid
  22. board — to get on
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. hand — part of the body

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