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

Word bank: march · calf · drill · chip · cabinet · straw · cell · root

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. march — music
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. march — the month
  7. root — the cause
  8. drill — a practice
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. march — the month
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. root — of a plant
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. drill — army training
  17. drill — the tool
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cell — in biology
  20. root — of a word
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chip — for betting
  24. straw — dry grass

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