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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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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: stem · hide · stick · file · key · bear · pound · cabinet

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a document
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. file — a tool
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stem — to come from
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bear — the animal
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — for a lock
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pound — a weight
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. key — in music
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bear — the animal

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