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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: rush · straw · stem · file · wave · sharp · suit · season

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. stem — to come from
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. file — a line of people
  5. suit — in cards
  6. season — in sport
  7. suit — clothes
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. rush — hurry
  15. suit — to fit
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. file — a tool
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. season — of the year
  24. sharp — clever

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