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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a document
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. squash — to crush
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pop — to visit
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. file — a line of people
  12. pop — music
  13. squash — the sport
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — to bear
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. pass — a permit
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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