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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: file · wind · stem · key · leaves · toast · land · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — ground
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. file — a line of people
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. file — a document
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. key — the most important part
  13. wind — moving air
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. wind — moving air
  16. key — in music
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. stem — to come from
  19. key — for a lock
  20. file — a tool
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. land — a country
  23. row — a line
  24. toast — bread

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