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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 116 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 · stick · root · fork · face · bound · hide · hand

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bound — tied together
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — the cause
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fork — in a road
  9. hand — help
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — to point toward
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bound — obliged
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bound — certain
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. root — of a word
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. face — part of the head

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