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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lie · cabinet · field · deal · mine · pop · root · file

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. root — of a word
  6. file — a document
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — to visit
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. root — the cause
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. deal — to handle
  15. file — a tool
  16. mine — for digging
  17. lie — to recline
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. field — farmland
  20. root — of a plant
  21. file — a line of people
  22. field — a subject
  23. pop — music
  24. field — for sport

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