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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 · press · march · can · fine · stem · leaves · shower

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  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 — to come from
  2. can — a tin
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. file — a line of people
  7. march — the month
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. press — to push
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. shower — rain
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. press — newspapers
  14. shower — to wash
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. fine — all right
  17. file — a document
  18. press — a publisher
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. fine — high quality
  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