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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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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: chair · wake · cell · bay · root · cabinet · mouse · date

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. root — of a plant
  3. date — the fruit
  4. cell — in biology
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. root — the cause
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. root — of a word
  17. wake — a trail
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. cell — a phone
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. chair — a leader
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. mouse — the animal

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