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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: band · snap · file · cap · stem · can · hide · fan

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. band — a ring
  4. stem — to come from
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. file — a tool
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. file — a line of people
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cap — of ice
  15. file — a document
  16. cap — a hat
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. snap — to click
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. can — a tin
  21. cap — a lid
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. band — a music group
  24. stem — a stem cell

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