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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: lean · snap · leaves · bear · rash · file · fine · cabinet

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. rash — hasty
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. fine — all right
  6. lean — thin
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. file — a tool
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rash — a series
  12. snap — to click
  13. fine — high quality
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. file — a line of people
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. file — a document
  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