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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wave · leaves · file · lash · fan · stem

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. file — a tool
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. file — a document
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. file — a line of people
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. lash — an eyelash

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