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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: root · cabinet · kid · bulb · snap · face · rock · mouse

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. root — of a plant
  3. rock — music
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. face — part of the head
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — child
  9. snap — to click
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bulb — for light
  13. face — to point toward
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — a stone
  17. face — to confront
  18. root — the cause
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. kid — to tease
  21. root — of a word
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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