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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: cabinet · lie · foot · root · sharp · march · ruler · land

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. march — the month
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. lie — to recline
  6. land — a country
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. march — the month
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. land — to come down
  13. root — of a plant
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. land — ground
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. root — the cause
  18. march — music
  19. root — of a word
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. foot — a measure
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — clever

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