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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. net — in sport
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. net — for catching
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — of a word
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. net — after costs
  10. band — a music group
  11. root — the cause
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bat — the animal
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. lie — to recline
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — employees

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