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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 120 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: present · file · deal · wind · fork · lash · can · root

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. present — a gift
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. root — the cause
  5. file — a tool
  6. root — of a plant
  7. can — to be able to
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. present — the time now
  10. deal — to handle
  11. wind — moving air
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. file — a line of people
  14. can — a tin
  15. wind — moving air
  16. root — of a word
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — in a road
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. can — a tin
  23. present — there
  24. file — a document

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