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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 116 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 · lie · club · chair · wake · nail · rush · cap

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. club — a group
  3. rush — hurry
  4. cap — a lid
  5. root — of a word
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. chair — a leader
  9. club — for dancing
  10. cap — of ice
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. wake — a trail
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. club — for golf
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. root — the cause
  24. cap — a hat

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