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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. can — a tin
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. can — to be able to
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. row — to paddle
  7. root — of a word
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. root — of a plant
  11. can — a tin
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rush — hurry
  16. snap — to click
  17. chair — a leader
  18. root — the cause
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — a line
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. cell — a phone

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