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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 120 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
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Word bank
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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bound — certain
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bound — obliged
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. file — a tool
  9. cue — for pool
  10. perch — the fish
  11. file — a line of people
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. cue — a signal
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bound — tied together
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. file — a document
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. plane — a tool
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a hole
  24. plane — an aircraft

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