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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: can · lean · file · row · swing · rash · stem · fall

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. file — a line of people
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. can — a tin
  5. swing — music
  6. file — a document
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. row — to paddle
  10. rash — a series
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. rash — hasty
  13. lean — thin
  14. file — a tool
  15. row — a line
  16. lean — to bend
  17. fall — to drop
  18. swing — to play on
  19. stem — to come from
  20. swing — in golf
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. can — a tin

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