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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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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. clip — to cut
  4. tube — a container
  5. root — of a word
  6. rash — a series
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rash — hasty
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. clip — for paper
  11. clip — a video
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. root — the cause
  15. bark — to shout
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. root — of a plant
  19. deal — to handle
  20. tube — the underground
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. rash — on the skin

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