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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: cold · plane · drill · cabinet · root · sharp · fan · calf

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. drill — the tool
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. root — the cause
  5. sharp — clever
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. root — of a word
  13. cold — an illness
  14. drill — a practice
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. root — of a plant
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. drill — army training
  22. cold — not warm
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. plane — a tool

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