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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: mine · present · rash · lie · root · cabinet · wind · mate

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mate — a friend
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mate — a partner
  7. rash — hasty
  8. root — of a plant
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. root — the cause
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. rash — a series
  16. mine — for digging
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — the time now
  20. lie — to recline
  21. wind — moving air
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. root — of a word

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