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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: bank · last · file · staff · stick · row · mine · root

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. last — to go on
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. last — finally
  5. root — of a plant
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bank — for money
  8. root — the cause
  9. file — a document
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bank — for money
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. staff — employees
  17. last — final
  18. root — of a word
  19. bank — of a river
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. row — a line
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. file — a line of people
  24. row — to paddle

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