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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: net · toast · lash · race · stem · cabinet · fan · root

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. root — of a word
  4. race — the arms race
  5. net — in sport
  6. root — the cause
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. race — a contest
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. net — for catching
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. net — after costs
  18. root — of a plant
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. toast — bread
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. race — humankind
  23. stem — to come from
  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