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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. file — a document
  3. rest — what's left
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. rest — a break
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — to fit
  10. rest — what's left
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. suit — in cards
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. file — a tool
  15. mark — a trace
  16. fall — to drop
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fall — the season
  20. band — a music group
  21. branch — a division
  22. fall — to drop
  23. file — a line of people
  24. band — a ring

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