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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: present · rash · mine · suit · board · stem · file · rush

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — the time now
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. present — there
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. file — a tool
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. board — to get on
  13. file — a document
  14. mine — for digging
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rash — a series
  18. stem — to come from
  19. suit — in cards
  20. rash — hasty
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — clothes
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. file — a line of people

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