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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mate — a friend
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. pop — to visit
  9. stem — to come from
  10. root — the cause
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. root — of a plant
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pop — soda
  16. date — the fruit
  17. board — to get on
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mate — to breed
  20. wind — moving air
  21. pop — music
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. mate — a partner
  24. root — of a word

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