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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: saw · file · spell · race · can · net · drill · stem

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. race — humankind
  3. net — after costs
  4. race — the arms race
  5. net — for catching
  6. file — a document
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. can — a tin
  10. race — a contest
  11. stem — to come from
  12. can — a tin
  13. spell — a short time
  14. saw — the tool
  15. spell — letters
  16. drill — army training
  17. spell — magic
  18. file — a tool
  19. can — to be able to
  20. net — in sport
  21. saw — the tool
  22. file — a line of people
  23. drill — the tool
  24. drill — a practice

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