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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: root · calf · tear · cabinet · tube · saw · mine · ball

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mine — for digging
  6. root — the cause
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. root — of a word
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. tear — from crying
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tear — to rip
  19. tear — from crying
  20. root — of a plant
  21. tube — the underground
  22. ball — a great time
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. ball — a dance

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