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

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — to bear
  4. file — a line of people
  5. stem — to come from
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — clothes
  9. file — a tool
  10. field — a subject
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. suit — in cards
  15. fork — in a road
  16. lean — to bend
  17. field — farmland
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — thin
  20. foot — a measure
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. file — a document
  23. field — for sport
  24. stem — of a plant

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