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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 120 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: chest · file · last · object · root · shower · mouse · key

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. file — a tool
  3. root — of a word
  4. file — a document
  5. key — in music
  6. object — a thing
  7. shower — to wash
  8. object — to protest
  9. file — a line of people
  10. chest — a box
  11. chest — of your body
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. key — for a lock
  15. last — final
  16. root — the cause
  17. shower — rain
  18. root — of a plant
  19. last — to go on
  20. key — the most important part
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. chest — of your body
  23. last — finally
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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