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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.

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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: spring · file · fan · stick · sharp · wake · stem · pass

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a document
  6. spring — the season
  7. stem — to come from
  8. pass — a permit
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. spring — of water
  11. sharp — clever
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. file — a tool
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. spring — a coil
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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