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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
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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 · firm · hide · straw · current · file · bear · saw

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. file — a document
  4. current — happening now
  5. bear — the animal
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. current — electric
  10. stem — to come from
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. current — of water
  13. file — a tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. firm — a company
  16. bear — the animal
  17. file — a line of people
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — decided
  22. saw — the tool
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bear — to put up with

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