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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 · cabinet · mine · pitcher · wave · snap · spell · fan

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. root — the cause
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mine — for digging
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. root — of a plant
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. spell — magic
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. snap — to click
  19. root — of a word
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. spell — letters
  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