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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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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: plane · file · lash · cap · staff · root · tear · arm

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a tool
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. cap — a lid
  5. root — the cause
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. file — a document
  8. cap — of ice
  9. tear — to rip
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — a tool
  13. staff — employees
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. staff — a stick
  18. tear — from crying
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — of a word
  21. tear — from crying
  22. cap — a hat
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. staff — employees

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