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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 116 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. ground — the earth
  4. wake — a trail
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bass — the fish
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. ground — a position
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. file — a line of people
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. pass — a permit
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. file — a document
  18. bass — low music
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. snap — to click
  23. ground — crushed
  24. file — a tool

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