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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: kick · rash · jam · file · ruler · chest · stem · staff

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — to come from
  4. staff — employees
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. kick — in football
  7. staff — a stick
  8. rash — a series
  9. file — a document
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. file — a tool
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. staff — employees
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — a box
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. rash — hasty
  22. chest — of your body
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. jam — a tight spot

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