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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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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: stem · firm · hide · straw · current · file

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. firm — decided
  3. firm — steady
  4. stem — to come from
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. current — happening now
  10. file — a tool
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. current — of water
  15. firm — a company
  16. file — a document
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. current — electric

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