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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 120 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
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: mark · fine · cold · net · wound · cabinet · root · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. net — after costs
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. root — of a plant
  5. wound — an injury
  6. cold — not warm
  7. net — in sport
  8. fine — high quality
  9. mark — a trace
  10. net — for catching
  11. shower — rain
  12. wound — an injury
  13. fine — all right
  14. root — of a word
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. shower — to wash
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a grade
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cold — an illness
  24. root — the cause

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