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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pit · bass · root · cabinet · hide · leaves · swing · wound

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bass — the fish
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pit — a hole
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. root — of a plant
  12. pit — in a race
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. swing — in golf
  17. root — the cause
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bass — low music
  20. wound — an injury
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — to play on
  23. root — of a word
  24. leaves — to go away

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