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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: fan · file · mark · can · lie · rock · game · bound

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. can — a tin
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. lie — to recline
  6. file — a tool
  7. can — a tin
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — certain
  11. rock — a stone
  12. game — wild animals
  13. mark — a grade
  14. rock — music
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. can — to be able to
  19. file — a line of people
  20. game — a match
  21. file — a document
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. mark — a trace
  24. fan — a supporter

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