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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: lash · root · nail · staff · tear · file · bark · mine

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. root — the cause
  4. staff — employees
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bark — to shout
  7. file — a line of people
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. staff — employees
  10. root — of a word
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — from crying
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. root — of a plant
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. tear — to rip
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. file — a tool
  23. mine — for digging
  24. staff — a stick

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