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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: rest · root · lie · rash · pop · wave · file · firm

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. firm — steady
  3. file — a tool
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. firm — a company
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pop — music
  8. rest — a break
  9. rash — hasty
  10. file — a line of people
  11. rest — what's left
  12. root — of a plant
  13. firm — decided
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rash — a series
  17. root — of a word
  18. pop — to visit
  19. root — the cause
  20. file — a document
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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