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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: bark · bank · row · lean · stem · spell · current · file

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. spell — magic
  4. file — a line of people
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. lean — thin
  7. spell — letters
  8. bark — to shout
  9. stem — to come from
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — electric
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. file — a tool
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. file — a document
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. row — to paddle
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bank — for money
  24. current — of water

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