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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 120 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: file · stem · sharp · straw · face · rush · stand · snap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. sharp — clever
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. file — a line of people
  7. face — to point toward
  8. snap — to click
  9. rush — hurry
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. stand — to bear
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. face — to confront
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. file — a tool
  19. face — part of the head
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. file — a document
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. stem — to come from

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