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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
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: rash · can · leaves · file · present · hide · spell · mate

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. can — to be able to
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a document
  8. present — a gift
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — a short time
  11. present — the time now
  12. spell — magic
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. mate — a friend
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. mate — a partner
  18. file — a line of people
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. rash — hasty
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. present — there
  24. hide — to keep secret

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