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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: mark · rest · file · leaves · current · game · sharp · spring

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. file — a document
  3. spring — a coil
  4. current — electric
  5. file — a line of people
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — a match
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. mark — a grade
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. game — wild animals
  14. spring — the season
  15. mark — a trace
  16. rest — what's left
  17. sharp — clever
  18. rest — a break
  19. current — happening now
  20. spring — of water
  21. current — of water
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. file — a tool
  24. rest — what's left

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