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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: mark · mate · rock · wound · wake · spring · pass · file

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. wake — a trail
  3. mark — a trace
  4. spring — a coil
  5. mate — a friend
  6. file — a line of people
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — a stone
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. file — a document
  13. file — a tool
  14. spring — the season
  15. mate — to breed
  16. wound — an injury
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. pass — a permit
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mark — a grade
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. spring — of water

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