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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
468
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: club · leaves · file · suit · safe · spell · pitcher · tear

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. tear — from crying
  5. spell — letters
  6. suit — clothes
  7. spell — magic
  8. suit — to fit
  9. file — a line of people
  10. tear — to rip
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. club — for golf
  13. tear — from crying
  14. file — a tool
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. file — a document
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — a group
  23. spell — a short time
  24. leaves — of a tree

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