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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: swing · current · stem · cabinet · fall · bulb · hide · file

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. current — happening now
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stem — to come from
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. file — a document
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. swing — music
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. swing — to play on
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. current — electric
  21. swing — in golf
  22. file — a tool
  23. current — of water
  24. cabinet — ministers

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