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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: craft · leaves · root · land · file · cold · toast · foot

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. cold — not warm
  3. file — a document
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. file — a line of people
  7. land — to come down
  8. craft — boats
  9. root — of a word
  10. cold — an illness
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — the cause
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. land — ground
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — a skill
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. file — a tool
  22. toast — bread
  23. land — a country
  24. foot — a measure

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