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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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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. file — a line of people
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. lie — to recline
  5. pit — in a race
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. file — a document
  8. pit — a hole
  9. band — a music group
  10. file — a tool
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. fork — in a road
  13. face — to confront
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. band — a ring
  21. face — to point toward
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. face — part of the head
  24. lie — an untruth

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