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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. hand — help
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. cap — a lid
  8. file — a line of people
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. file — a tool
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. file — a document
  17. cap — a hat
  18. wake — a trail
  19. cap — of ice
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. scale — in music
  24. wake — before a funeral

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