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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bound — obliged
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a line of people
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. land — to come down
  7. file — a document
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. toast — bread
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bound — tied together
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. suit — to fit
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. land — ground
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. suit — in cards
  22. land — a country
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bound — certain

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