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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: firm · staff · root · board · hide · drill · dip · spell

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — to sink
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. staff — a stick
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. staff — employees
  8. drill — army training
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. firm — decided
  11. staff — employees
  12. root — the cause
  13. drill — a practice
  14. board — to get on
  15. spell — a short time
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — of a word
  18. firm — a company
  19. drill — the tool
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — magic
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. board — a committee

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