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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: firm · root · staff · tear · bear · nail · plane · cabinet

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. bear — the animal
  6. firm — steady
  7. plane — a tool
  8. tear — from crying
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. firm — a company
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. tear — to rip
  15. tear — from crying
  16. root — of a word
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — the cause
  20. staff — a stick
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. nail — on a finger

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