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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. file — a line of people
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. file — a document
  5. spell — a short time
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. file — a tool
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. spell — letters
  15. bass — low music
  16. chair — a leader
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bank — for money
  19. hand — help
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. hand — in cards
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. pound — to hit hard

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