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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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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: arm · object · snap · shower · cabinet · root · roll · tear

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  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 — a cupboard
  2. tear — to rip
  3. shower — to wash
  4. tear — from crying
  5. object — an aim
  6. root — the cause
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. root — of a word
  9. roll — a list
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. object — a thing
  13. snap — to click
  14. root — of a plant
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. shower — rain
  17. tear — from crying
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. object — to protest
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. roll — a cake
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. arm — a part of something
  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