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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
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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 · saw · root · ball · hide · bore · perch · snap

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. perch — the fish
  3. root — the cause
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bore — to drill
  7. root — of a word
  8. snap — to click
  9. ball — a dance
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bore — to tire
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. saw — the tool
  19. root — of a plant
  20. saw — the tool
  21. ball — a great time
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. perch — for a bird

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