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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: chair · sharp · fall · root · snap · present · cabinet · pitcher

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. root — of a word
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. present — there
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. snap — to click
  7. root — the cause
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. present — a gift
  13. root — of a plant
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. chair — a leader
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. present — the time now
  22. sharp — clever
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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