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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.

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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: rush · suit · hide · track · root · land · wind · object

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. object — an aim
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. object — a thing
  6. root — of a plant
  7. object — to protest
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. suit — in cards
  10. land — ground
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rush — hurry
  13. land — to come down
  14. root — the cause
  15. land — a country
  16. wind — moving air
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a path
  19. track — a song
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — clothes
  24. hide — to keep secret

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