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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: spring · wave · present · file · arm · leaves · row · date

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. file — a document
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. spring — the season
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a line of people
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. row — a line
  11. row — to paddle
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. present — there
  14. spring — of water
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. present — the time now
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. spring — a coil
  23. present — a gift
  24. leaves — lets stay

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