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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: row · root · present · file · tube · last · craft · object

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. root — of a plant
  3. last — finally
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. object — a thing
  6. craft — boats
  7. last — to go on
  8. object — an aim
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. file — a tool
  11. object — to protest
  12. craft — a skill
  13. file — a line of people
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. row — a line
  16. file — a document
  17. last — final
  18. root — the cause
  19. tube — a container
  20. present — there
  21. root — of a word
  22. row — to paddle
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — the time now

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