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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: rush · root · spell · lie · roll · swing · field · cabinet

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. rush — hurry
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. field — farmland
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. root — the cause
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. swing — to play on
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — magic
  15. swing — in golf
  16. lie — to recline
  17. roll — a list
  18. swing — music
  19. spell — letters
  20. roll — a cake
  21. root — of a plant
  22. field — a subject
  23. root — of a word
  24. lie — an untruth

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