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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: deal · wind · root · perch · rest · cabinet · saw · mate

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. root — the cause
  7. rest — what's left
  8. perch — the fish
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wind — moving air
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — to breed
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rest — a break
  23. root — of a plant
  24. mate — a partner

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