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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: arm · roll · file · tear · track · lie · root · nail

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. root — the cause
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. tear — from crying
  5. lie — to recline
  6. tear — from crying
  7. file — a tool
  8. track — to keep track
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — of a word
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. file — a document
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. tear — to rip
  17. roll — a cake
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. track — a path
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. file — a line of people
  22. track — a song
  23. roll — a list
  24. roll — on a roll

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