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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: spell · wake · cue · coach · bound · stick · track · file

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. track — a song
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bound — tied together
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — letters
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a path
  12. bound — obliged
  13. wake — a trail
  14. file — a tool
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. spell — a short time
  21. file — a document
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bound — certain

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