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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.

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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: pass · fall · mouse · bound · cell · file · bark · saw

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — a phone
  3. file — a line of people
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bound — obliged
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bound — certain
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bark — to shout
  11. fall — to drop
  12. file — a document
  13. fall — the season
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. bound — tied together
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. file — a tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mouse — the animal

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