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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: bay · board · leaves · march · ruler · wake · stem · file

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. march — the month
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. file — a line of people
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. board — a committee
  11. march — music
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. march — the month
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. file — a document
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. stem — to come from
  20. file — a tool
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. board — to get on
  23. wake — a trail
  24. ruler — for measuring

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