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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 120 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. staff — employees
  3. pit — a hole
  4. tear — to rip
  5. staff — employees
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bank — for money
  8. tear — from crying
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bound — obliged
  11. row — to paddle
  12. file — a document
  13. bank — for money
  14. pass — a permit
  15. row — a line
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bank — of a river
  18. file — a tool
  19. bound — tied together
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bound — certain
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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