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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 116 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: present · stem · lean · fall · hide · net · file · nail

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stem — to come from
  4. present — the time now
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. present — a gift
  8. net — in sport
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. present — there
  11. fall — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. net — after costs
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. lean — thin
  17. fall — to drop
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. file — a line of people
  21. net — for catching
  22. file — a document
  23. lean — to bend
  24. file — a 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