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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
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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: trunk · bear · scale · bound · snap · mark · file · mate

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mark — a grade
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bound — certain
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. file — a tool
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bound — tied together
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. mark — a trace
  13. snap — to click
  14. scale — size or range
  15. file — a document
  16. bound — obliged
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. mate — a friend
  22. file — a line of people
  23. scale — in music
  24. bear — to put up with

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