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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. file — a document
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cap — a lid
  6. pass — a permit
  7. game — a match
  8. fine — high quality
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. file — a line of people
  12. face — to confront
  13. cap — of ice
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to point toward
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. file — a tool
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. cap — a hat

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