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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: root · plane · cabinet · shower · snap · pitch · file · sharp

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to click
  4. file — a line of people
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. root — of a plant
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. shower — rain
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. shower — to wash
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. sharp — clever
  17. file — a document
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. file — a tool
  20. plane — a tool
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — the cause
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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