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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 120 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: cabinet · bore · net · hide · root · shower · prune · arm

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. shower — to wash
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bore — to drill
  5. shower — rain
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. root — the cause
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bore — to tire
  11. root — of a word
  12. prune — to trim
  13. net — for catching
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. net — after costs
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. net — in sport
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. hide — to keep secret

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