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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 120 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bound — certain
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bound — tied together
  12. object — an aim
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. object — to protest
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a tool
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. object — a thing
  21. wake — a trail
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bound — obliged
  24. leaves — lets stay

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