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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: nail · court · leaves · file · wound · wind · root · lie

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. root — of a word
  3. root — of a plant
  4. lie — to recline
  5. wind — moving air
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. file — a tool
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. root — the cause
  12. court — of law
  13. wound — an injury
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. file — a document
  16. court — of a king
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. court — for sport
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. leaves — of a tree

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