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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 120 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. stem — to come from
  5. file — a tool
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — a thing
  8. chest — of your body
  9. file — a document
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. chest — a box
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. chest — of your body
  19. file — a line of people
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. saw — the tool
  23. object — an aim
  24. wake — a trail

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