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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cell · root · rock · bark · wave · game · file · rash

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. rock — a stone
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. root — the cause
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cell — in biology
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — to shout
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. game — wild animals
  12. root — of a word
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. root — of a plant
  15. rash — a series
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. rock — music
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. game — a match
  20. file — a line of people
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. file — a document
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. rash — hasty

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