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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: pit · band · object · bear · file · squash · leaves · spell

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. band — a music group
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bear — the animal
  5. object — an aim
  6. file — a line of people
  7. bear — the animal
  8. band — a ring
  9. file — a document
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — magic
  14. pit — a hole
  15. object — a thing
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. pit — in a race
  18. spell — letters
  19. file — a tool
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the sport
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. object — to protest

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