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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 · suit · cap · spell · kid · root · object · tear

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cap — of ice
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — in cards
  5. root — of a word
  6. object — a thing
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. tear — from crying
  9. object — an aim
  10. root — of a plant
  11. tear — from crying
  12. kid — to tease
  13. spell — a short time
  14. suit — clothes
  15. cap — a hat
  16. spell — letters
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. tear — to rip
  19. spell — magic
  20. root — the cause
  21. kid — child
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. object — to protest
  24. cap — a lid

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