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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. roll — a cake
  4. drill — the tool
  5. file — a document
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. roll — a list
  9. toast — bread
  10. pass — a permit
  11. fall — to drop
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. rest — what's left
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. file — a line of people
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. drill — a practice
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. fall — the season
  22. drill — army training
  23. file — a tool
  24. toast — the most admired

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