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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: board · bore · lash · rash · stem · pop · file · key

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. board — to get on
  3. bore — to tire
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bore — to drill
  7. key — the most important part
  8. file — a line of people
  9. pop — soda
  10. key — in music
  11. rash — a series
  12. pop — to visit
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. key — for a lock
  18. board — a committee
  19. rash — hasty
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. file — a tool
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. pop — music
  24. bore — gave birth

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