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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · fan · wake · cue · stem · fork · staff · mouse

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. fork — in a road
  3. stem — to come from
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. file — a line of people
  7. staff — employees
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. staff — employees
  11. wake — a trail
  12. cue — a hint
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. file — a document
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. staff — a stick
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a signal
  22. file — a tool
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fan — a supporter

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