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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 · row · rock · file · pound · stem · rest · lean

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — a weight
  3. file — a line of people
  4. row — a line
  5. lean — to bend
  6. rest — a break
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. file — a document
  9. rest — what's left
  10. lean — thin
  11. root — of a word
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. rock — a stone
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a plant
  19. row — to paddle
  20. rest — what's left
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. rock — music
  24. file — a tool

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