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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: last · file · roll · mouse · root · cap · lie · rest

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. roll — a cake
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. root — of a plant
  5. rest — a break
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a tool
  8. rest — what's left
  9. roll — a list
  10. rest — what's left
  11. cap — of ice
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. last — finally
  14. cap — a hat
  15. root — the cause
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. file — a document
  18. last — final
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. last — to go on
  23. root — of a word
  24. cap — a lid

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