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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: spring · stem · file · pitcher · straw · lie · current · snap

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. file — a line of people
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. current — electric
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. spring — the season
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. file — a document
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. current — of water
  13. lie — to recline
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. stem — to come from
  19. spring — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. snap — to click
  24. spring — a coil

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