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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
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: fall · nail · saw · cabinet · content · board · root · mine

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. root — of a plant
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. root — the cause
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fall — to drop
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. content — the amount
  15. root — of a word
  16. fall — the season
  17. content — happy
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a committee
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. fall — to drop

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