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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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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: dip · cabinet · charge · spell · straw · root · face · pound

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. root — of a word
  3. face — to point toward
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — magic
  9. root — the cause
  10. face — part of the head
  11. charge — electricity
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — in control
  15. spell — a short time
  16. face — to confront
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. pound — a weight
  21. root — of a plant
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. pound — to hit hard

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