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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: race · root · lie · clip · file · spring · nail · bay

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. file — a line of people
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. race — humankind
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a tool
  11. spring — the season
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. root — the cause
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. race — a contest
  16. clip — a video
  17. clip — for paper
  18. lie — to recline
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. race — the arms race
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. spring — of water
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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