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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
468
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: rest · cue · leaves · file · hand · arm · pass · bound

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. rest — a break
  5. file — a document
  6. rest — what's left
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rest — what's left
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. file — a tool
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. hand — help
  15. bound — certain
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — a signal
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bound — tied together
  21. file — a line of people
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bound — obliged
  24. leaves — of a tree

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