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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: saw · root · pitcher · cabinet · wound · rush · bear · mate

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. root — the cause
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. wound — an injury
  7. root — of a word
  8. rush — hurry
  9. root — of a plant
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. mate — to breed
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mate — a partner
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wound — an injury
  24. saw — the tool

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