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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. row — to paddle
  3. file — a document
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. fork — in a road
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. file — a line of people
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. clip — to cut
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. pitch — completely
  12. row — a line
  13. file — a tool
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. clip — for paper
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. clip — a video
  20. stem — to come from
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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