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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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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 · lean · file · dip · plane · stick · pound · cabinet

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. file — a tool
  3. lean — thin
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. plane — a tool
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a word
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. dip — to sink
  12. file — a document
  13. file — a line of people
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. lean — to bend
  17. pound — a weight
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. root — of a plant
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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