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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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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 · mate · root · can · board · roll · lean

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lean — to bend
  3. mate — a friend
  4. roll — a cake
  5. mate — a partner
  6. root — of a word
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. lean — thin
  9. roll — a list
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — the cause
  12. mate — to breed
  13. board — a committee
  14. can — a tin
  15. board — to get on
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lean — to rest against

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