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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: leaves · arm · lean · capital · root · cabinet · dip · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. lean — to bend
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. root — of a word
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. dip — to sink
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. lean — thin
  12. root — the cause
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. chest — a box
  16. chest — of your body
  17. capital — a city
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. capital — money
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. root — of a plant

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