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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — a hole
  8. staff — employees
  9. prune — to trim
  10. last — finally
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fall — the season
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. pit — in a race
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. file — a document
  18. band — a ring
  19. fall — to drop
  20. last — final
  21. staff — employees
  22. prune — to trim
  23. staff — a stick
  24. band — a music group

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