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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: wound · present · root · mug · tear · file · cabinet · foot

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. tear — to rip
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. root — of a plant
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. present — there
  10. tear — from crying
  11. mug — to rob
  12. wound — an injury
  13. file — a document
  14. root — the cause
  15. mug — a cup
  16. present — the time now
  17. mug — a face
  18. root — of a word
  19. present — a gift
  20. tear — from crying
  21. foot — a measure
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. wound — an injury
  24. file — a line of people

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