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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a line of people
  5. can — a tin
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. root — of a word
  10. cap — a hat
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. cap — a lid
  14. craft — boats
  15. tear — from crying
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. root — of a plant
  21. cap — of ice
  22. tear — to rip
  23. band — a music group
  24. tear — from crying

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