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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: content · tube · lean · cabinet · straw · kid · suit · root

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. kid — to tease
  3. lean — thin
  4. content — the amount
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. root — of a plant
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — the cause
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. kid — child
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — clothes
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. suit — to fit
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — a container
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. content — happy
  24. lean — to bend

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