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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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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: rock · lie · court · stem · kick · wind · file · cabinet

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wind — moving air
  5. court — of law
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. rock — a stone
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. rock — music
  10. kick — in football
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. court — of a king
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wind — moving air
  17. lie — to recline
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. court — for sport
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. file — a document
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. file — a tool
  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