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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: club · stem · mine · lie · rash · mark · racket · file

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. stem — to come from
  3. file — a document
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. file — a line of people
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rash — hasty
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. club — for dancing
  11. file — a tool
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mine — for digging
  16. lie — to recline
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. rash — a series
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. club — a group

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