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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. pass — a permit
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. file — a tool
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bank — for money
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bank — of a river
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. shower — to wash
  13. last — final
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — finally
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. bank — for money
  20. file — a line of people
  21. ball — a dance
  22. tube — a container
  23. ball — a great time
  24. shower — rain

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