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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. file — a tool
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. file — a document
  5. bound — tied together
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — certain
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. spell — magic
  12. cell — a phone
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. mark — a trace
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. file — a line of people
  17. spell — a short time
  18. key — in music
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. cell — in biology
  21. key — for a lock
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. key — the most important part
  24. spell — letters

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