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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 120 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: cabinet · root · chest · pit · face · leaves · drill · prune

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. root — the cause
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. drill — the tool
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. face — to point toward
  8. drill — a practice
  9. face — to confront
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. root — of a plant
  12. pit — a hole
  13. root — of a word
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pit — in a race
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. face — part of the head
  18. chest — of your body
  19. drill — army training
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. chest — of your body
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. prune — to trim
  24. chest — a box

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