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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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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: kid · toast · row · can · kick · sharp · cabinet · root

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. can — to be able to
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. root — of a word
  6. kick — in football
  7. can — a tin
  8. sharp — clever
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. root — of a plant
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. root — the cause
  14. toast — bread
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kid — to tease
  19. row — to paddle
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. kid — child
  22. row — a line
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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