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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: toast · bear · staff · present · file · wake · root · cabinet

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. staff — employees
  6. root — the cause
  7. present — there
  8. file — a line of people
  9. present — the time now
  10. file — a document
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. file — a tool
  16. root — of a word
  17. present — a gift
  18. toast — bread
  19. staff — a stick
  20. root — of a plant
  21. staff — employees
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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