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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: mark · wound · bay · last · file · saw · pass · suit

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. last — finally
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a document
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. wound — an injury
  10. last — final
  11. mark — a trace
  12. suit — to fit
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. pass — a permit
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. mark — a grade
  19. suit — clothes
  20. last — to go on
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. suit — in cards

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