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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. wind — moving air
  3. stem — to come from
  4. file — a tool
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. rest — what's left
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — letters
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — shares
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wind — moving air
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. file — a line of people
  24. rest — a break

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