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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: squash · cabinet · tear · lie · trunk · stock · net · root

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. net — for catching
  3. root — of a plant
  4. tear — from crying
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — in sport
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. tear — to rip
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. root — of a word
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. squash — the sport
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. lie — to recline
  17. stock — shares
  18. tear — from crying
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. root — the cause
  21. stock — goods
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. squash — to crush
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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