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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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468
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: root · file · wind · suit · cabinet · net · date · shower

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. suit — to fit
  3. net — in sport
  4. shower — to wash
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. shower — rain
  10. root — of a word
  11. file — a line of people
  12. file — a tool
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — for catching
  15. wind — moving air
  16. root — of a plant
  17. suit — in cards
  18. date — the fruit
  19. file — a document
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. root — the cause
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. suit — clothes

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