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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.

Make a worksheet

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: march · bowl · stem · leaves · rush · saw · mouse · stick

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. march — the month
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stem — to come from
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. march — the month
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. march — music
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. rush — hurry
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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