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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: can · mine · track · lash · stem · rest · saw · file

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. file — a line of people
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. saw — the tool
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. can — a tin
  9. file — a tool
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rest — what's left
  12. track — a path
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. rest — a break
  18. track — to keep track
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. track — a song
  21. rest — what's left
  22. file — a document
  23. stem — to come from
  24. mine — for digging

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