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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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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: tear · mouse · cabinet · kid · root · suit · fall · chest

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a plant
  5. fall — to drop
  6. suit — to fit
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. tear — to rip
  11. kid — child
  12. root — of a word
  13. chest — a box
  14. chest — of your body
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fall — the season
  17. tear — from crying
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. suit — clothes
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. fall — to drop
  22. kid — to tease
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. tear — from crying

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