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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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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: drill · rest · cabinet · lash · root · present · hide · wax

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. present — a gift
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. rest — a break
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. root — the cause
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wax — to grow
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. drill — the tool
  17. present — the time now
  18. root — of a plant
  19. present — there
  20. drill — army training
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. drill — a practice
  23. rest — what's left
  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