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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: lean · root · cabinet · rest · wake · swing · rash · lie

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. swing — to play on
  3. root — the cause
  4. rash — a series
  5. swing — in golf
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. root — of a word
  10. lean — thin
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. lie — to recline
  13. wake — a trail
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. root — of a plant
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. rash — hasty
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. lean — to bend
  21. swing — music
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rest — a break

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