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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 116 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: leaves · cabinet · lash · kid · saw · rule · bowl · root

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. rule — government
  3. root — of a plant
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. saw — the tool
  7. root — of a word
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. rule — a law
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. kid — child
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. root — the cause
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. kid — to tease
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. leaves — of a tree

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