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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: temple · root · wound · object · kid · cue · cabinet · land

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. kid — to tease
  3. object — a thing
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. object — to protest
  6. land — a country
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. root — the cause
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cue — a hint
  11. land — to come down
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. kid — child
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. land — ground
  19. object — an aim
  20. root — of a word
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wound — an injury
  23. root — of a plant
  24. wound — an injury

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