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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: bat · file · saw · suit · bore · root · stick · fall

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. root — of a word
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bat — the animal
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bore — to drill
  8. fall — the season
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. root — of a plant
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. suit — to fit
  15. file — a line of people
  16. root — the cause
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. saw — the tool
  19. suit — in cards
  20. saw — the tool
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a tool
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. suit — clothes

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