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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bound — tied together
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. suit — in cards
  6. file — a document
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bound — certain
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. suit — to fit
  11. stand — to bear
  12. file — a line of people
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bound — obliged
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. suit — clothes
  23. snap — to click
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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