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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fan · root · mark · bat · row · lean · cabinet · lie

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. mark — a trace
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. root — of a word
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lie — to recline
  8. root — of a plant
  9. lean — thin
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. row — to paddle
  12. root — the cause
  13. mark — a grade
  14. row — a line
  15. bat — the animal
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bat — in an idiom

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