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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 120 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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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: bound · file · fall · pit · stick · safe · leaves · rest

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bound — certain
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. file — a line of people
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. fall — to drop
  8. file — a tool
  9. pit — a hole
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pit — in a race
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. rest — a break
  14. file — a document
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bound — obliged
  22. fall — the season
  23. bound — tied together
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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