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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 116 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: bark · cabinet · cap · kick · craft · race · root · hand

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — to shout
  5. craft — boats
  6. race — humankind
  7. hand — help
  8. race — the arms race
  9. cap — a hat
  10. root — of a plant
  11. hand — in cards
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. kick — in football
  18. root — of a word
  19. race — a contest
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. root — the cause
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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