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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: cabinet · row · bank · chair · pass · rest · root · hide

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bank — of a river
  4. row — to paddle
  5. rest — a break
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bank — for money
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — the cause
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. pass — a permit
  18. root — of a plant
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. row — a line
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bank — for money

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