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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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468
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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. root — of a plant
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bear — the animal
  11. cue — a hint
  12. field — a subject
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. root — of a word
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. field — farmland
  17. root — the cause
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bear — the animal
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cue — for pool
  22. field — for sport
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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