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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: leaves · rest · cabinet · root · season · wake · wound · cue

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. season — in sport
  6. root — of a word
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. root — the cause
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. cue — a signal
  16. wound — an injury
  17. rest — a break
  18. root — of a plant
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — a trail
  21. season — of the year
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wound — an injury

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