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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: bank · kick · root · spell · object · ground · cabinet · bark

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. spell — letters
  3. object — to protest
  4. ground — the earth
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bark — to shout
  7. root — the cause
  8. kick — in football
  9. bank — for money
  10. root — of a word
  11. bank — for money
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. ground — crushed
  14. spell — magic
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. spell — a short time
  18. root — of a plant
  19. object — an aim
  20. ground — a position
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. object — a thing
  23. bank — of a river
  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