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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fall — to drop
  3. file — a line of people
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — electricity
  6. staff — employees
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — part of the head
  9. file — a document
  10. staff — employees
  11. file — a tool
  12. fall — the season
  13. saw — the tool
  14. face — to confront
  15. charge — a price
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pass — a permit
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. staff — a stick

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