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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: suit · fork · mark · staff · hide · file · row · leaves

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. mark — a grade
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. file — a line of people
  8. row — to paddle
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. suit — in cards
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. suit — clothes
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. fork — in a road
  17. suit — to fit
  18. mark — a trace
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. file — a document
  21. staff — employees
  22. row — a line
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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