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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 120 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: rash · root · cabinet · hide · wax · bulb · lie · band

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. root — of a word
  3. root — of a plant
  4. rash — hasty
  5. wax — to grow
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. lie — to recline
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a music group
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. rash — a series
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. root — the cause
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rash — on the skin

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