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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: root · kid · cabinet · roll · capital · vault · hide · wax

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. roll — a list
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. root — of a plant
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. capital — a city
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. vault — a safe
  11. root — the cause
  12. capital — money
  13. wax — to grow
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. kid — child
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. roll — a cake
  23. kid — to tease
  24. roll — on a roll

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