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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 116 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bark — to shout
  3. pitch — completely
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. last — final
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. object — to protest
  8. file — a document
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. last — to go on
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. wax — to grow
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. file — a line of people
  18. last — finally
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. object — an aim
  21. file — a tool
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. pass — a permit
  24. object — a thing

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