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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: board · cabinet · lash · present · chest · key · rock · root

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. key — in music
  3. present — there
  4. present — a gift
  5. root — of a word
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. board — to get on
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. key — the most important part
  10. root — of a plant
  11. present — the time now
  12. chest — of your body
  13. key — for a lock
  14. chest — a box
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — music
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. chest — of your body
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. root — the cause
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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