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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: object · pound · rest · mug · leaves · stem · fork · saw

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. rest — a break
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. object — a thing
  6. mug — to rob
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. fork — in a road
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. rest — what's left
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. object — an aim
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mug — a face
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. pound — a weight
  22. object — to protest
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. mug — a cup

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