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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a tool
  3. pop — music
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. file — a document
  10. pop — soda
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. pop — to visit
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a song
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stem — to come from
  18. track — a path

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