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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 116 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. file — a tool
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. file — a document
  5. pop — soda
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. file — a line of people
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. pop — to visit
  13. current — electric
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fork — in a road
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — of water
  22. lean — thin
  23. pop — music
  24. saw — the tool

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