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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. can — to be able to
  4. field — a subject
  5. can — a tin
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. field — for sport
  8. can — a tin
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. file — a tool
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a document
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — there
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. saw — the tool
  20. field — farmland
  21. saw — the tool
  22. present — the time now
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. bank — for money

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