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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: root · bank · face · wound · cabinet · trunk · leaves · row

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  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. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. face — part of the head
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — to confront
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — the cause
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bank — for money
  14. row — to paddle
  15. bank — of a river
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. root — of a plant
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — a line
  23. bank — for money
  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