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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. lean — thin
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. lean — to bend
  7. key — the most important part
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. sharp — clever
  10. key — for a lock
  11. file — a line of people
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. key — in music
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. file — a tool
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. sharp — with an edge

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