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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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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: wound · firm · root · chair · wind · charge · cap · hide

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. cap — a hat
  3. charge — a price
  4. wound — an injury
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — of a word
  7. charge — in control
  8. firm — a company
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wind — moving air
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. root — the cause
  15. wound — an injury
  16. charge — electricity
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. firm — decided
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. firm — steady
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a lid

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