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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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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: fall · safe · wind · fan · racket · file · stem · stick

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a document
  5. wind — moving air
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. wind — moving air
  12. fall — the season
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. fall — to drop
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. file — a line of people
  23. stem — to come from
  24. racket — for tennis

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