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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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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 · leaves · rest · stem · ruler · squash · chest · race

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. race — humankind
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. rest — what's left
  5. chest — a box
  6. file — a line of people
  7. chest — of your body
  8. file — a tool
  9. rest — a break
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. rest — what's left
  17. race — a contest
  18. file — a document
  19. squash — to crush
  20. stem — to come from
  21. squash — the sport
  22. race — the arms race
  23. chest — of your body
  24. stem — of a plant

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