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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. root — of a word
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. tear — to rip
  5. net — in sport
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. net — for catching
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a leader
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. root — of a plant
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. root — the cause
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. tear — from crying
  23. net — after costs
  24. mouse — the animal

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