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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pitcher · bound · leaves · straw · file · cabinet · object · last

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. object — to protest
  3. last — final
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bound — tied together
  9. object — a thing
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. file — a line of people
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. last — finally
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. object — an aim
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. file — a tool
  19. bound — obliged
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. file — a document
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. last — to go on
  24. bound — certain

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