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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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  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. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a document
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bank — for money
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rule — government
  9. file — a line of people
  10. board — a committee
  11. cap — of ice
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. cap — a hat
  14. tear — from crying
  15. board — to get on
  16. cap — a lid
  17. tear — to rip
  18. tear — from crying
  19. rule — a law
  20. bank — for money
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. bank — of a river
  23. stem — to come from
  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