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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: tear · wake · band · mine · pop · cabinet · pass · root

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. root — of a plant
  3. tear — from crying
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. mine — for digging
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a music group
  11. root — the cause
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. wake — a trail
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pop — soda
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pop — music
  20. band — a ring
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. root — of a word
  24. pop — to visit

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