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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: key · cabinet · root · wax · dip · object · spell · game

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. object — to protest
  3. root — of a word
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. wax — to grow
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. object — a thing
  8. object — an aim
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. game — a match
  11. key — the most important part
  12. root — of a plant
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. spell — letters
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. key — in music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. root — the cause
  20. spell — magic
  21. dip — to sink
  22. spell — a short time
  23. game — wild animals
  24. dip — to dunk

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