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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.

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 · current · cabinet · roll · prune · bear · stem · cold

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cold — not warm
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. current — electric
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cold — an illness
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. file — a document
  17. prune — to trim
  18. current — of water
  19. current — happening now
  20. roll — a cake
  21. roll — a list
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. file — a line of people
  24. prune — to trim

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