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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: root · saw · chair · mark · mate · hide · cabinet · pound

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pound — a weight
  5. mate — to breed
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. saw — the tool
  9. root — the cause
  10. chair — a leader
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. root — of a word
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mate — a friend
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. mate — a partner
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. mark — a trace
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. saw — the tool
  24. root — of a plant

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