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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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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: cabinet · straw · kid · root · present · suit · sharp · bear

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. root — of a plant
  3. present — a gift
  4. root — of a word
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bear — the animal
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — to tease
  9. suit — clothes
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — clever
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. present — the time now
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. present — there
  18. bear — the animal
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. suit — in cards
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. root — the cause
  24. kid — child

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