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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. file — a tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. spell — a short time
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. key — in music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. degree — an amount
  13. spell — magic
  14. file — a document
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. degree — from a university
  17. file — a line of people
  18. key — the most important part
  19. degree — temperature
  20. saw — the tool
  21. chair — a leader
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. cabinet — ministers

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