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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 120 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: chair · spring · racket · file · leaves · mouse · pass · drill

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. drill — the tool
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pass — a permit
  6. spring — a coil
  7. drill — a practice
  8. spring — the season
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. chair — a leader
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a document
  16. drill — army training
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. spring — of water
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. mouse — for a computer

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