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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 116 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 · ground · file · cabinet · lash · pop · stem · key

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. file — a tool
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — hurry
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — music
  11. key — in music
  12. ground — crushed
  13. stem — to come from
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. file — a line of people
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. pop — soda
  18. key — the most important part
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. ground — the earth
  22. file — a document
  23. ground — a position
  24. key — for a lock

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