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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
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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: game · stand · key · sharp · file · stem

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. sharp — clever
  3. stand — to bear
  4. file — a line of people
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. game — a match
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stem — to come from
  11. file — a document
  12. key — for a lock
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — wild animals
  15. key — in music
  16. key — the most important part
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. file — a 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