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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: lean · bay · root · cabinet · rash · wave · net · key

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. rash — a series
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — for a lock
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. net — for catching
  7. key — in music
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. net — in sport
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. rash — hasty
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. root — the cause
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. root — of a word
  22. lean — thin
  23. root — of a plant
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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