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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: tear · root · file · arm · wave · leaves · net · bulb

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. tear — to rip
  5. net — for catching
  6. file — a line of people
  7. root — the cause
  8. bulb — for light
  9. file — a tool
  10. tear — from crying
  11. net — after costs
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. file — a document
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. root — of a plant
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. root — of a word
  22. net — in sport
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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