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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: bound · toast · arm · suit · file · spell · object · field

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. object — a thing
  3. spell — a short time
  4. suit — clothes
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — an aim
  7. field — a subject
  8. file — a document
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. bound — tied together
  11. suit — to fit
  12. spell — magic
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. field — for sport
  16. bound — obliged
  17. toast — bread
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. file — a tool
  21. field — farmland
  22. file — a line of people
  23. bound — certain
  24. suit — in cards

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