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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: hide · file · drill · rule · season · straw · stem · saw

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. rule — government
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. file — a tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. rule — a law
  14. drill — the tool
  15. stem — to come from
  16. file — a line of people
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. drill — army training
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. season — in sport
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. season — of the year
  23. drill — a practice
  24. saw — the 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