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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: stem · fan · file · kick · squash · chest · mouse · pass

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. file — a document
  3. chest — of your body
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. file — a tool
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. squash — the sport
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. file — a line of people
  12. chest — of your body
  13. stem — to come from
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. kick — in football
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. squash — to crush
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. chest — a box
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to spend time

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