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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.

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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: mark · prune · bound · spell · file · mug · rest · leaves

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bound — tied together
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. spell — magic
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a tool
  8. spell — letters
  9. mug — a face
  10. file — a line of people
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bound — certain
  13. rest — what's left
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bound — obliged
  16. mark — a grade
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mug — a cup
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. mark — a trace
  22. spell — a short time
  23. mug — to rob
  24. rest — a break

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