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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. file — a line of people
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. file — a document
  11. pit — a hole
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. pit — in a race
  15. file — a tool
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. rush — hurry
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bank — for money

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