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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.

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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: row · staff · lean · root · key · pitcher · file · face

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. root — of a plant
  3. file — a tool
  4. face — part of the head
  5. key — for a lock
  6. row — to paddle
  7. file — a line of people
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. root — the cause
  11. key — the most important part
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — a line
  14. face — to confront
  15. root — of a word
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. file — a document
  18. staff — a stick
  19. key — in music
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. face — to point toward
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. staff — employees

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