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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: file · object · march · kick · season · spell · stem · nail

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. file — a line of people
  3. season — in sport
  4. stem — to come from
  5. file — a tool
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. spell — magic
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — of the year
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. object — to protest
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. spell — a short time
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. spell — letters
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. kick — in football
  21. march — the month
  22. object — an aim
  23. file — a document
  24. kick — with a leg

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