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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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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: present · cabinet · land · tear · cue · nail · can · root

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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. can — to be able to
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. present — a gift
  6. land — a country
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — for pool
  11. tear — from crying
  12. cue — a signal
  13. can — a tin
  14. present — the time now
  15. tear — to rip
  16. root — the cause
  17. land — to come down
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. can — a tin
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. land — ground
  22. tear — from crying
  23. root — of a plant
  24. present — there

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