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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 116 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: pit · last · object · mark · mate · file · spring · leaves

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. spring — a coil
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. last — final
  5. file — a line of people
  6. last — to go on
  7. mark — a grade
  8. pit — a hole
  9. object — to protest
  10. spring — of water
  11. pit — in a race
  12. last — finally
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. object — a thing
  16. file — a document
  17. spring — the season
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mate — a partner
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. mate — to breed
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. object — an aim

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