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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. file — a document
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. tear — to rip
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. file — a tool
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bound — obliged
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bound — certain
  13. squash — the sport
  14. saw — the tool
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bound — tied together
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. tear — from crying
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. season — of the year
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — in sport
  24. rock — music

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