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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: hand · kid · mate · chair · firm · lean · band · root

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. hand — help
  3. kid — child
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. root — of a plant
  6. mate — to breed
  7. lean — to bend
  8. band — a ring
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. mate — a friend
  11. kid — to tease
  12. root — of a word
  13. lean — thin
  14. firm — steady
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — a leader
  17. mate — a partner
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. band — a music group
  21. firm — decided
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. firm — a company
  24. hand — in cards

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