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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: stick · current · lean · file · hand · spring · board · mark

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. file — a document
  3. lean — to bend
  4. hand — help
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a grade
  8. lean — thin
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. spring — of water
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. board — a committee
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. current — happening now
  15. board — to get on
  16. current — electric
  17. mark — a trace
  18. file — a line of people
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. file — a tool
  22. spring — a coil
  23. current — of water
  24. hand — in cards

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