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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 · kick · net · stem · wound · leaves · board · bulb

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. kick — in football
  4. net — after costs
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. file — a tool
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. wound — an injury
  9. file — a line of people
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — to get on
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. net — in sport
  20. stem — to come from
  21. net — for catching
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. file — a document
  24. bulb — for light

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