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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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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: leaves · saw · ruler · bound · stick · file · club · date

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. date — the fruit
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bound — obliged
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. saw — the tool
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bound — tied together
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. club — for dancing
  15. bound — certain
  16. file — a line of people
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. file — a tool
  20. club — a group
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. club — for golf
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. file — a document

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