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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 120 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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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 plant
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. file — a tool
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. file — a document
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. content — the amount
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. root — the cause
  15. lie — to recline
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. content — happy
  18. root — of a word
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. file — a line of people
  24. fan — a supporter

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