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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. spell — magic
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bound — obliged
  6. file — a line of people
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pass — a permit
  9. mine — for digging
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. file — a tool
  15. spell — letters
  16. bound — tied together
  17. stock — goods
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. spell — a short time
  20. stock — shares
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bound — certain
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. pass — to succeed

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