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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: arm · pound · lean · season · coach · spell · file · leaves

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. file — a line of people
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. spell — letters
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — a short time
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. season — in sport
  17. pound — a weight
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. season — of the year
  20. lean — thin
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. file — a tool
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. lean — to bend

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