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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: face · key · chip · fall · bore · cabinet · current · root

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. chip — to eat
  3. fall — to drop
  4. root — of a plant
  5. face — to confront
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. key — the most important part
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. key — in music
  11. current — electric
  12. root — of a word
  13. bore — to tire
  14. current — of water
  15. face — part of the head
  16. fall — to drop
  17. key — for a lock
  18. fall — the season
  19. current — happening now
  20. root — the cause
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. face — to point toward
  24. chip — for betting

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