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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
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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: last · mine · trunk · lie · mouse · root · ball · cabinet

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. root — of a plant
  5. lie — to recline
  6. ball — a great time
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. ball — a dance
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. last — to go on
  13. root — of a word
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. root — the cause
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. last — final
  21. last — finally
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cabinet — ministers

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