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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 116 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. present — the time now
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. file — a line of people
  5. stem — to come from
  6. track — a path
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mug — to rob
  10. board — to get on
  11. mark — a trace
  12. file — a document
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. present — there
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. mug — a face
  17. present — a gift
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mug — a cup
  20. track — to keep track
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. track — a song
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — a committee

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