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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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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 · cabinet · bowl · clip · tear · straw · shower · lean

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. root — the cause
  4. clip — to cut
  5. root — of a word
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. tear — to rip
  10. clip — a video
  11. root — of a plant
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. tear — from crying
  16. clip — for paper
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. shower — rain
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. tear — from crying
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — thin
  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