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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 116 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
468
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: row · mouse · leaves · chip · spring · rock · file · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rock — a stone
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — of water
  6. file — a line of people
  7. chip — for betting
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. spring — the season
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — music
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. row — to paddle
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. row — a line
  20. file — a tool
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. file — a document
  24. mouse — 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