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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
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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: snap · cell · key · leaves · file · court · bass · saw

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — a phone
  3. file — a tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bass — low music
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. court — of a king
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. court — for sport
  10. file — a line of people
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — in music
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bass — the fish
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. court — of law
  19. saw — the tool
  20. snap — to click
  21. saw — the tool
  22. file — a document
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. bass — the instrument

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