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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
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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: file · stem · mate · clip · rash · scale · fan · cabinet

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. mate — a partner
  3. scale — in music
  4. mate — a friend
  5. scale — size or range
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. clip — a video
  10. rash — hasty
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. file — a line of people
  13. stem — to come from
  14. clip — to cut
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. file — a document
  19. file — a tool
  20. clip — for paper
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rash — a series
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. mate — to breed

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