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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: present · mouse · foot · sharp · band · rest · file · leaves

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. sharp — clever
  6. band — a ring
  7. present — the time now
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. rest — a break
  10. foot — a measure
  11. rest — what's left
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. file — a document
  14. present — a gift
  15. rest — what's left
  16. file — a line of people
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. file — a tool
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. present — there

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