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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: bank · bass · tube · root · can · leaves · lie · cabinet

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. root — of a word
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bass — low music
  6. tube — the underground
  7. root — the cause
  8. can — to be able to
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bank — for money
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bank — of a river
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bank — for money
  18. tube — a container
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. can — a tin
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bass — the fish

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