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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.

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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: firm · root · cabinet · current · hide · rest · chest · lean

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lean — to bend
  4. rest — what's left
  5. lean — thin
  6. current — happening now
  7. chest — a box
  8. firm — decided
  9. current — electric
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. chest — of your body
  12. firm — steady
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. current — of water
  15. rest — a break
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rest — what's left
  19. root — of a plant
  20. firm — a company
  21. root — the cause
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. root — of a word
  24. chest — of your body

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