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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  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. row — a line
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. rest — a break
  6. bark — to shout
  7. rest — what's left
  8. saw — the tool
  9. row — to paddle
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. charge — in control
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. charge — electricity
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — a permit
  20. charge — a price
  21. file — a line of people
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. file — a document
  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