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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: rest · fork · toast · stem · file · spring · field · leaves

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. stem — to come from
  3. field — a subject
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. fork — in a road
  7. file — a document
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. file — a line of people
  10. spring — of water
  11. toast — bread
  12. rest — what's left
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. spring — the season
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. field — farmland
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. field — for sport
  24. file — a tool

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