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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
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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: saw · land · deal · file · can · row · root · rest

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. land — a country
  3. can — a tin
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. file — a tool
  6. row — to paddle
  7. saw — the tool
  8. land — ground
  9. root — the cause
  10. file — a document
  11. land — to come down
  12. can — a tin
  13. saw — the tool
  14. root — of a word
  15. deal — to handle
  16. rest — what's left
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. rest — a break
  19. row — a line
  20. rest — what's left
  21. file — a line of people
  22. root — of a plant
  23. can — to be able to
  24. deal — an agreement

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