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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: toast · firm · drill · hide · cold · leaves · root · hand

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. root — the cause
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. drill — army training
  10. cold — an illness
  11. drill — a practice
  12. cold — not warm
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. drill — the tool
  15. firm — a company
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. root — of a word
  18. toast — bread
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. root — of a plant
  21. firm — decided
  22. firm — steady
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — lets stay

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