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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. last — to go on
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. last — finally
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. lean — thin
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — hasty
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. lean — to bend
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. saw — the tool
  21. dip — to sink
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. last — final

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