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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 · bank · field · stick · fine · lean · file · bowl

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. lean — to bend
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. bank — of a river
  5. fine — high quality
  6. file — a tool
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. field — a subject
  9. stem — to come from
  10. field — farmland
  11. file — a line of people
  12. file — a document
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. field — for sport
  20. fine — all right
  21. bank — for money
  22. lean — thin
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bank — for money

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