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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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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: net · perch · stick · leaves · wind · cabinet · root · drill

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. drill — a practice
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. root — of a word
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. net — in sport
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. root — of a plant
  15. net — after costs
  16. wind — moving air
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. wind — moving air
  19. perch — the fish
  20. drill — the tool
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. root — the cause
  23. net — for catching
  24. drill — army training

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