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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bound — certain
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. file — a tool
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. net — after costs
  10. file — a document
  11. net — for catching
  12. bound — tied together
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. key — for a lock
  15. net — in sport
  16. bound — obliged
  17. key — the most important part
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a match
  20. key — in music
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. leaves — to go away

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