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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 walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bound — certain
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. staff — employees
  6. bound — obliged
  7. file — a tool
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mark — a trace
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — a weight
  14. file — a document
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bound — tied together
  21. mark — a grade
  22. staff — employees
  23. snap — to click
  24. staff — a stick

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