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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.

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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: hide · wind · mark · bear · field · foot · stem · file

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  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. file — a document
  2. field — for sport
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. wind — moving air
  5. mark — a trace
  6. file — a line of people
  7. field — farmland
  8. wind — moving air
  9. stem — to come from
  10. field — a subject
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a grade
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. file — a tool
  16. bear — the animal
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — the bottom
  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