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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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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: swing · bat · foot · root · suit · cabinet · cap · lie

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. suit — in cards
  8. cap — of ice
  9. swing — to play on
  10. suit — to fit
  11. cap — a lid
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. root — of a plant
  14. swing — in golf
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bat — the animal
  19. swing — music
  20. root — the cause
  21. foot — a measure
  22. root — of a word
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. cabinet — ministers

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